BENGAL BJP IN DISARRAY AS TMC WINS ALL FOUR BYPOLLS

The BJP came a distant second, while Left-Congress alliance lost its deposit in three of the four seats.

- SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE

As Kalyan Choubey, BJP candidate for the Maniktala Assembly bypolls, waited in his car after losing the election by a wide margin on Saturday, a sea of Trinamool Congress activists surged around, banging on the car, shouting “go back” and “Jai Bangla” slogans. Choubey, also the All India Football Federation president, was among the BJP candidates who lost to the TMC in all the four Assembly seats— Maniktala, Bagda, Ranaghat Dakshin, and Raiganj—that were held on 10 July.

Chaubey’s car was finally escorted out by the TMC local councillor. Chaubey only had his security men and his election agent. No BJP supporters could be seen.

In all four seats which went for the byelections, the BJP came a distant second while Left-Congress alliance candidates lost their deposits in three of the four seats.