Howrah seat BJP's GIFT to Mamata for deserting UPA?

A day after it received a considerable drubbing in the Howrah Lok Sabha by-election, Congress on Thursday sought to attribute Trinamool Congress's win to a "nexus between Mamata Banerjee's party and the Bharatiya Janata Party", saying it was the latter's 'gift' to Banerjee for walking out of the United Progressive Alliance.

The party claimed that the BJP withdrew its candidate at the last moment in favour of Banerjee's party.

"This is BJP's gift to Mamata for walking out of the UPA. BJP withdrew its candidate at the last moment from the seat in favour of Banerjee's party. Had the BJP candidate contested the poll, her candidate would not have won," said All India Congress Commiitee in-charge for West Bengal Shakeel Ahmed.

Ahmed, who is also the party spokesperson, alleged that West Bengal BJP President Rahul Sinha had even issued an appeal to the people not to vote either for the Communist Party of India – Marxist candidate or the Congress candidate.

"When a party does not field a candidate in elections and issues appeals not to vote against some particular parties barring one, it means the party is supporting a particular party," he said.

In the lone Lok Sabha by-poll in Howrah in West Bengal, the ruling TMC retained the seat with a margin of over 27,000 votes, defeating the nearest CPI-M rival. The Congress had to settle for the third spot.

Congress candidate Sanatan Mukherjee polled 96,727 votes. The seat had fallen vacant following the death of TMC Member of Parliament Ambika Banerjee.

The TMC has claimed that the result proved that people reposed their faith on the performance of the Mamata Banerjee government in the past two years.