West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest from Bhabanipur assembly seat. (File)
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy today said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is bound to win the by-poll from Bhabanipur assembly seat by a "huge margin".
In a series of tweets, Mr Kumaraswamy also slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for contesting by-polls from the Bhabanipur assembly seat.
"It is not surprising that BJP's own leader Rajib Banerjee has said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is bound to win the by-poll from Bhavanipur assembly seat by a huge margin in a contest that has attracted the attention of the entire country," he said.
Supporting BJP leader Rajib Banerjee's statement, the JD(S) leader said Mamata Banerjee is not just a leader, but the "real pulse and heartbeat of Bengalis."
"He (Rajib Banerjee) has publicly expressed a view that it would have been better if the BJP had refrained from fielding its candidate in the by-poll. There is truth in what he has said. Because Mamata Banerjee is not just a leader, but the real pulse and heart beat of Bengalis," he tweeted.
Mr Kumaraswamy said that Mamata Banerjee had scripted history in April itself by winning 214 of the total 294 seats in the Assembly elections.
"It is not possible for anyone to prevent the creation of history. Actually, Mamata Banerjee had scripted history in April itself by winning 214 of the total 294 seats in the Assembly elections. Now she is geared up to create a new history," Mr Kumaraswamy tweeted.
He said that the political parties should "understand" and also "respect people's emotions" as well as "democratic values."
"All the political parties should have co-operated in electing Mamata Banerjee unopposed in the by-election by refraining from fielding any candidate against her," he said.
The JD(S) leader stated that the BJP should abandon its narrow mindset and display greatness because there is nothing bigger in a democracy than the support of the people.
"People of West Bengal have already given her a clear and decisive mandate. It is my personal view that the BJP should have shun its narrowmindedness and displayed large-heartedness. Because there is nothing bigger in a democracy than the support of people," he added.
The Bhabanipur assembly seat was vacated by the West Bengal Agriculture Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay in May, making way for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to contest from Bhabanipur seat.
On September 10, the Election Commission of India announced the schedule of by-polls to be held in the state. According to the schedule, the by-election in Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency in West Bengal will be held on September 30.
The Election Commission also informed that by-polls will also be held in Samserganj and Jangipur of West Bengal and Pipli constituency of Odisha on the same date. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 3.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)