West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with Prasun Banerjee
Trinamool Congress candidate Prasun Banerjee today won the Howrah Lok Sabha seat in a bye-election defeating his nearest rival, CPI(M) candidate Sridip Bhattacherjee, by over 27,000 votes.
Describing this as a 'victory for democracy', the West Bengal Chief Minster said, "We fought alone against all parties. It is a message: Ekla Cholo Re (don't be afraid to walk alone)."
Though official results were still to be declared, Election Commission sources said that Prasun Banerjee secured 4,26,273 votes and Sridip Bhattacherjee 3,99,258 votes. Congress candidate Sanatan Mukherjee was in third spot polling 96,727 votes.
The sources said that counting of 300 votes in one EVM which developed a technical malfunction would be taken up before the official declaration of the result.
The seat fell vacant following the death of TMC MP Ambika Banerjee. Senior TMC leader and Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee told reporters that the poll result would give a
boost to the party before next month's crucial panchayat elections. The result proves that people reposed their faith on the performance of Mamata Banerjee government in the past two years, he also said.