CM Mamata trails in Bhabanipur by 563 votes with four rounds of counting left
Kolkata, May 4
With just four rounds of counting still left, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is trailing in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in south Kolkata by 563 votes against Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
At Bhabanipur, there will be a total of 20 rounds of counting, and at the time of filing this report, counting had been completed for 16 rounds.
As per the official figures available from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, at the end of the 16th round of counting, Mamata Banerjee had secured 53,369 votes, while Suvendu Adhikari had secured 53,932 votes.
Adhikari has already been declared elected from his native Nandigram Assembly constituency in East Midnapore district, where he also contested this time apart from Bhabanipur.
After the 16th round of counting, Mamata Banerjee left the counting centre at Shakhawat Memorial Government Girls' School in south Kolkata and returned to her residence at Kalighat in south Kolkata. Before leaving, she said that the verdict in West Bengal did not reflect the true mandate of the people.
To recall, in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Adhikari was elected from Nandigram, defeating Mamata Banerjee by a margin of a little less than 2,000 votes. Later, she was elected in a by-election from Bhabanipur and retained her position as Chief Minister for the third consecutive term.
At that time, Mamata Banerjee's victory margin from Bhabanipur was a little less than 59,000 votes.
As per the latest trends available, the BJP has either won or is leading in 207 of the 293 Assembly constituencies for which counting was conducted on Monday, followed by the Trinamool Congress at 80, the Left Front-All India Secular Front (AISF) at two, the Congress at two, and others at two.
Several heavyweight members of the Mamata Banerjee-led Cabinet, including Minister of State for Finance (Independent Charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya, Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Minister Dr Shashi Panja, Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose, and Education Minister Bratya Basu, among others, have been defeated.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Its a shocker for TMC supporters but democracy is all about respecting the mandate. If Suvendu wins in Bhabanipur too, it shows a massive wave for BJP in Bengal. But I also feel for Mamata ji she has done a lot for the state. Lets see what happens in the last 4 rounds.
I respect Mamata Banerjee but the allegations of violence and corruption during her tenure have cost her dearly. The people of Bengal seem to want change. Suvendu Adhikari is no saint either but he has played his cards well. A tight race here.
From an outsider's perspective, this is fascinating. Bengal has always been a political battleground. Mamata Banerjee is a strong leader but even she seems vulnerable this time. The 563 vote margin is so narrow every vote counts in Indian democracy.
I am not from Bengal but I follow Indian politics closely. If Mamata Banerjee loses her own seat after her party's heavy defeats, it would be a personal blow. The shift in voter sentiment is huge from 59,000 margin to trailing by 563. Incredible.
Mamata Didi saying 'verdict does not reflect true mandate' this is exactly what losers say when they are behind. But she has done good work for Bengal in some areas. Still, the arrogance and high-handedness of her party cost them dearly. A lesson for all.
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