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West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday, 3 October, won the Bhabanipur bypoll after defeating BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal by over 58,000 votes; thus retaining her position as the chief minister of the state.
Shortly after her win, Banerjee thanked her voters, as well as the Election Commission of India. She also said:
"Around 46% of people here (in Bhabanipur) are non-Bengalis. They all have voted for me. People of West Bengal are watching Bhabanipur, which has inspired me."
Further, she hit out at the the Central Government, claiming that since the elections started in West Bengal, "Central Government hatched conspiracies to remove us (from power)."
"I was hurt in my feet so that I don't contest the polls," CM Banerjee added.
'I am Man of the Match': BJP's Tibrewal
Meanwhile BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal, who lost to Mamata, dubbed herself "man of the match.” According to ANI, she said:
"I am 'Man of the Match' of this game because I contested the election in Mamata Banerjee's stronghold and got more than 25,000 votes.”
“I will continue doing the hard work,” Tibrewal added.
More Details
The counting of votes took place on Sunday for bypolls that were held in West Bengal's Bhabanipur constituency in South Kolkata, and Jangipur and Samserganj seats in Murshidabad district on Thursday, 30 September.
This bypoll was of consequence as Banerjee had to win in order to enter the state Assembly before the end of her first six months as Chief Minister.
Banerjee had earlier lost the Nandigram seat to aide-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari in the Assembly elections, necessitating her participation in the bypolls on Thursday. TMC MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay resigned to make way for Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur.
Apart from Bhabanipur, the bypolls were held in Jangipur and Samserganj following the death of two candidates.
(With inputs from ANI)
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