Bhabanipur bypolls: Mamata leads by 42,292 votes after 16th round of counting

The Bhabanipur constituency witnessed a meager 57.09 per cent voter turnout despite a high-voltage campaign by both the ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP.

Counting of votes for the keenly watched Bhabanipur bypoll seat has begun along with the constituencies of Samserganj and Jangipur in West Bengal and Pipili in Odisha. 

Trinamool Congress supporters celebrate near CM Mamata Banerjee's residence in Kolkata on Sunday. (Samir Jana/HT Photo)

West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is looking at winning the south Kolkata seat by a comfortable margin to make her way to Assembly, months after losing the election to aide-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram. 

Here are the latest updates:

- West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is leading by 42,292 votes after 16th round of counting for the Bhabanipur by-election. 

- The Trinamool Congress supremo is ahead by 36,457 votes following 13th round of counting.

- Banerjee has crossed her colleague Shobhandeb Chattapadhyay's winning margin of 28.719 votes from the Bhabanipur seat. She is ahead by 31,645 votes after the 10th round of counting.

- Banerjee now has a leading margin of 34,000 votes following 11th round of counting.

- Banerjee is leading by 25,318 votes after seventh round of counting.

- Banerjee is leading by 12,435 after fourth round of counting.

- Images have started pouring in of celebrations outside the CM's Kalighat residence as her lead against BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal increases.

 

 

- Reports suggested Banerjee leading by 6,146 votes after the third round of counting.

- News agency ANI said Banerjee is leading against BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal by 2,377 votes after second round of counting, as per Election Commission data.

- Banerjee is leading with 3,680 votes against BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal's 881 votes after first round of counting, as per Election Commission data. 

- According to some reports, Banerjee is leading by over 2,500 votes after two rounds of counting.

- Some images from outside a counting centre in Bhabanipur Assembly constituency.

- Priyanka Tibrewal, whom the BJP has fielded against Banerjee, has written to Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court expressing her fears of post-poll violence and sought measures to prevent the same. Read more

- The official Twitter handle of the chief electoral office (CEO) shares images of counting at centres in Bhabanipur. 

 - Counting begins at 8am at all the four constituencies where the by-election was held on Thursday.

- In Bhabanipur, the counting is being held in 21 rounds. The constituency witnessed a meager 57.09 per cent voter turnout despite a high-voltage campaign by both the ruling camp and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

- The Trinamool Congress has predicted the party supremo's win by a massive margin. Read more

- Banerjee has twice represented the Bhabanipur seat in the Assembly between 2011 and 2021 and looking for a third term through the bypoll.  

- Twenty-four companies of central forces have been deployed at the counting centres in Bhabanipur and the entire area has been put under the surveillance of close-circuit cameras.

Read this for more updates on bypolls in all four seats

- The Election Commission has said officials would be allowed to use pen and paper, while the returning officer and observer have been given the permission to bring mobile phones. 

- The weather department has predicted an increase in thunderstorms with lightning activity in south Bengal on October 3 and 4. Read more

- The BJP had earlier complained of a lack level-playing field in the seat. 

- On the day of polling, Tibrewal had complained of rigging in a booth, but the polling body had said election began late due to delay in a mock drill.