BJP Leads in Bengal, TVK in Tamil Nadu Bypolls

While the opposition continues its “Vote Chori’ argument, the BJP candidates on Friday increased their leads in Nandigram and Rejinagar seats of West Bengal, where by-polls were held on October 6, according to the trends available so far. The TMC did not contest on its original party symbol as the Election Commission had frozen it for this election in view of the claims of the breakaway faction, which claimed that were the real TMC.

In a notable development, the BJP made gains in Muslim-majority areas, Rejinagar in Murshidabad district, where party candidate Shankharavh Sarkar was leading over 17,000 votes. over his nearest rival, Golam Nabi Azad of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), after the second round of counting.

Abdullahil Kafi of the Congress was in the third spot with 1,291 votes, according to figures released by the Election Commission on its website.

Mamata All India Trinamool Congress candidate Rabiul Alam Chowdhury bagged only 753 votes in Rejinagar, while Safiuzzaman Saikh of the rival Democratic Trinamool Congress faction led by Arup Roy polled 295 votes.

In Purba Medinipur’s Nandigram, BJP candidate Hasirani Rath, the mother of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s slain personal assistant Chandranath Rath, was leading by 27,450 votes after the third round of counting.

Rath secured 34,820 votes, while Congress’s Milan Pradhan, who was at the second spot, bagged 7,370 votes. Santi Gopal Giri of the CPI was in the third place with 1,289 votes.

A total of 15 rounds of counting will be held in both seats.

Nandigram fell vacant after Adhikari, who won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, retained the latter. Rejinagar fell vacant after AJUP founder Humayun Kabir retained Nowda, where he had also won.

In Madurantakam and Dharapuram by polls in Tamil Nadu initially the DMK was leading but now the TVK is ahead of the DMK.