People's magic, says Mamata after Trinamool wins bypolls

Trinamool Congress on Monday retained both Bongaon Lok Sabha and Krishnaganj assembly seats with huge margins in the bypolls seen as a litmus test for its popularity in the wake of CBI arresting several of its leaders in Saradha scam and murmurs of dissidence.

The convincing victory of TMC candidate Mamatabala Thakur in the Bongaon (SC) Lok Sabha seat with a margin of more than 2,11,794 votes came as a big relief for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the bypoll was dubbed as a prestige fight after state minister Manjul Krishna Thakur quit government and the party and joined BJP.

Manjul had accused the TMC led-government of not doing enough for the Matua community, which forms a major chunk of the electorate in the constituency.

While Mamatabala Thakur secured 5,39,990 votes, her nearest rival Communist Party of India-Marxist’s Debesh Das received 3,28,196 votes

Manjul’s son Subrata Thakur, who was Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate in Bongaon Lok Sabha seat, secured 3,14,119 votes. The Congress stood fourth in this constituency.

The party retained Krishnaganj assembly seat by a margin of 37,033 votes with its candidate Satyajit Biswas securing 95,469 votes.

Biswas defeated his BJP rival Manabendra Roy, who secured 58,436 votes. The CPI-M was relegated to the third position with 37,620 votes in contrast to the second position it held in the last assembly elections.

Buoyed by the win in the bypoll in both Bongaon Lok Sabha and Krishnaganj assembly seats, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today termed it “a miracle” and said the party is “intact and strong”.

Banerjee, who was speaking to the media while touring Purulia district for a government programme, said the results were people’s “Rejection of the conspiracy by Delhi and a slanderous campaign by the BJP and a section of the media”.

“I salute maa, mati, manush. I salute our workers. This is people's magic. This is a miracle,” she said.

“It is a number one strong party in the world. No one can divide TMC and if any individual (airs his opinion) they have the prerogative. But the party remains strong and united and this is our collective family,” Banerjee said.

Apparently referring to BJP’s humiliating defeat in Delhi polls and also the saffron party failing to make much headway in the bypoll in West Bengal, she said, “The verdict of the people in the country was a reflection that they are for secularism, integration and development.”

In Bongaon, the Trinamool Congress substantially increased its victory margin compared to 2014 when it had won by 1,46000 votes. There was also a rise in the party’s vote in Krishnaganj seat.

The bypoll results also assume significance ahead of this year’s elections to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and about 80 municipalities across the state and the assembly polls to be held in 2016.