CPI-M wins West Bengal by-poll

West Bengal's ruling Left Front major Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) today retained the Durgapur-1 assembly seat in a byelection held on Monday but with a much reduced margin.

West Bengal's ruling Left Front major Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Thursday retained the Durgapur-1 assembly seat in a byelection held on Monday but with a much reduced margin.

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CPI-M's Archana Bhattacharya defeated her nearest rival, Bansibadan Karmakar of the Congress, by 8,817 votes in the election necessitated by the death of Power and Labour Minister Mrinal Banerjee.

Banerjee won the seat in Burdwan district by around 41,000 votes in 2006.

The Trinamool Congress was then aligned with the BJP. And both Trinamool and Congress had put up candidates.

The seat has for years been regarded a citadel of the left. In last year's Lok Sabha election, CPI-M's Saidul Haque led by over 14,000 votes from the segment.

The result has come as a big relief to the Left Front bosses.