'Public's verdict accepted': BJP's Agnimitra Paul after loss to Shatrughan Sinha

Agnimitra Paul urged police, local officials and the election commission to keep a check on post-poll violence in the state.

Updated on: Apr 16, 2022, 16:06:50 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Manjiri Sachin Chitre | Edited by Chandrashekar Srinivasan

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The BJP's Agnimitra Paul said Saturday the party had accepted defeat in bypolls to the Asansol Lok Sabha seat and the Ballygunge assembly constitutency. Paul, who contested against ex-BJP and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha from Asansol, said the 'public's verdict will be accepted'. At 4 pm, Paul has only 3.52 lakh votes to Sinha's 6.52 lakh, with the CPI(M)'s Partha Mukherjee a distant third with 90,000 votes.

Paul, however, also snuck in a swipe at the BJP's rivals, claiming 'few cases of rigging were seen at some places'.

"There were some shortcomings from our end because of which we had to face defeat. Public's verdict will be accepted. Few cases of rigging were seen at some places but central forces worked really well. We will work at grassroots levels in the forthcoming days," she told news agency ANI.

On Trinamool leader Babul Supriyo's victory from Ballygunge, she said, "It was predictable. Keya Ghosh has put up a big fight."

Supriyo, another former BJP leader, is set to win the Ballygunge seat from the CPI(M)'s Saira Shah Halim. The former union minister has over 51,000 votes at the time of writing this, compared to Halim's 31,000.

Agnimitra Paul, meanwhile, urged police, local officials and the election commission to keep a check on post-poll violence in the state - something which the BJP has repeatedly accused the ruling Trinamool of instigating, and vice versa.

Also read: Trinamool's Shatrughan Sinha set for LS return, eyes big win in Bengal's Asansol

"Post poll violence should not take place in West Bengal," she said.

The by-poll for Asansol were required after Supriyo quit the seat before joining the Trinamool. The popular singer left the BJP after poor performances in last year's Bengal assembly election. The bypolll for Ballygunge was needed after the death of incumbent and Bengal minister Subrata Mukherjee.

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