TMC wins KMC bypoll comprehensively

The ruling Trinamool Congress Wednesday registered a massive victory in bypoll of ward no. 117 in Kolkata Municipal Corportion by defeating its nearest rival BJP by 5,482 votes.

Trinamool Congress candidate Amit Singh secured 7,926 votes whereas his nearest rival of BJP Somnath Banerjee got 2,444 votes. CPI(M) candidate Amitava Karmakar came third by securing 1,011 votes.

The vote percentage cornered by TMC was 65.97, against BJP's 20.34 per cent.

According to the results, TMC has increased its vote share to a great extent whereas the BJP has witnessed a fall.

The bypoll was held on December 16 and was necissitated following the demise of sitting TMC councillor Sailen Dasgupta earlier this year.

The TMC was able to increase its vote share significantly. In 2015 KMC election, the party managed to secure 6,002 votes which was nearly 46 per cent of votes polled. The BJP had then secured 3,742 votes which is around 29.53 per cent.

The TMC attributed the victory to "developmental work" carried out by the party in the city.

The BJP, however, accussed the TMC of using "strong arm tactics' and "terrorizing voters" on election day.