PM hails state BJP for rising vote share in Bengal bypoll

Kolkata Dec 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed his BJP s Bengal unit after the party gained a significant vote share in the Sabang Assembly bypoll in the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party which clinched the third spot in the by-poll was able to secure a vote share of about 19 per cent from the share of 2.5 per cent in last year s assembly polls.

"Happy to see a significant rise in the BJP s vote share in Sabang West Bengal. I thank the people for their support and assure them that BJP will leave no stone unturned in serving West Bengal. I appreciate the @BJP4Bengal Karyakartas for their effort " Modi said in a tweet.

Ruling Trinamool Congress candidate Gita Rani Bhunia won the seat defeating her nearest rival Rita Mondal of the Left Front major Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) by a massive margin of over 64 000 votes.

BJP s Antara Bhattacharyya bagged 37 483 votes gaining a substantial number of votes in this bypoll as against about 5 000 votes secured by the party in 2016 Assembly elections.

"Had common people been allowed to exercise their franchise we would have got more favourable results. However the results show that our party did well despite ruling party s terror activities " Bhattacharya claimed.

--IANS
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