West Bengal by-poll: 'Gracefully accept the outcome,' says BJP after Mamata-led TMC sweeps all 3 constituencies

According to the Election Commission of India, Mamata Banerjee secured 85,263 votes. Banerjee's main rival candidate, Priyanka Tibrewal of BJP, got 26,428 votes. At third was CPI (M) candidate Srijib Biswas, who secured 4,226 votes.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said it "gracefully accepts" the outcome of the three assembly by-polls in West Bengal, adding that the results are "not in line with the expectations" of the party. The statement comes as Mamata Banerjee-Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured a landslide victory in the Bhabanipur constituency, while in Jangipur and Samserganj too, TMC emerged as the winner.

 A deserted view of BJP headquarters after Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's victory in by-elections, in Kolkata.(PTI)

According to the Election Commission of India, Mamata Banerjee secured 85,263 votes. Banerjee's main rival candidate, Priyanka Tibrewal of BJP, got 26,428 votes. At third was CPI (M) candidate Srijib Biswas, who secured 4,226 votes.

"After being demolished in Nandigram, Mamata Banerjee may have survived in Bhabanipur for now, but it has never happened that a losing candidate chose to thrust herself as the chief minister, in violation of all democratic norms and proprietary," the statement read.

It also alleged that the by-elections were declared "at the behest of Mamata Banerjee's government" amidst the prevailing Covid-19 situation and the post-poll violence. "The elections were held under an overbearing state administration, with the dark shadow of fear, intimidation and gloom of the post-poll violence hanging over the electorate," the BJP said in the statement.

BJP also alleged partiality by the state administration during the elections campaign and claimed that the BJP candidate was stopped at various places in the poll-going constituency, "disregarding the basic right of an election candidate to reach out to one's electorate".

It said the "polls, particularly in Bhabanipur, were marred by rampant fake voting". "BJP candidates even apprehended such voters, but were allowed to escape under supervision of Kolkata police under political pressure from the TMC," BJP claimed.

The by-poll at Bhabanipur was necessitated after Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, who originally won the seat in the assembly elections held this year, vacated the seat to facilitate Banerjee's continuity in the CM post following her defeat in Nandigram.

Banerjee lost to her former aide Suvendu Adhikari by a close margin of 1,956 votes from the Nandigram constituency in the assembly elections. As the TMC came back with a thumping majority, Banerjee was sworn in as the chief minister for the third time. However, as per the Constitution, Mamata had to win on any seat in the state to have the chance of becoming a member of the state assembly. In fact, she had to win before November 5 to remain the chief minister’s position.

The BJP also said that it will "continue to fight the regressive politics of TMC". "The resilient BJP party workers will continue to fight tooth and nail against such democratic irregularities and won't stop till rule of law is restored in West Bengal," it stated.

In the statement, the BJP also quoted Swami Vivekananda, and said, "Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached."