In a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said BJP is getting paid back for its "arrogance" and for "insulting" the people of Bengal. Banerjee's statement came as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) swept the Kaliaganj assembly seat by-poll.
"We dedicate this victory to the people of Bengal. The BJP is getting paid back for its arrogance of power and for insulting the people of Bengal," she told a TV channel.
The CPI(M) and the Congress, instead of trying to strengthen themselves, are helping the BJP in West Bengal, Banerjee said.
Tapan Deb Sinha of the TMC won the Kaliaganj seat by defeating his nearest rival Kamal Chandra Sarkar of the BJP by 2,304 votes, EC officials said.
The TMC is also leading in two other assembly segments, Kharagpur Sadar and Karimpur, by 15,000 and 28,000 votes respectively.
The Trinamool celebrated sweet victory after the BJP's big win in parliamentary elections in May. Kaliaganj is part of the Raiganj Lok Sabha seat.
Counting of votes began at 8 am. The results will be declared amid a strain between the supporters of the Trinamool Congress and BJP over an attack on a BJP candidate during voting on Monday.
Bypolls were also held for Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh seat where the BJP is leading. The seat had fallen vacant after the death of sitting MLA and cabinet minister Prakash Pant in June. Mr Pant's wife Chandra took on the Congress's Anju Lunthi in the bypoll. Samajwadi Party's Lalit Mohan Bhatt is the third contestant.
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