People's Democracy

CPI(M) Retains Balagarh Seat

AT the time of going to press, the news of the outcome of the Balagarh (SC) by-election in West Bengal has reached us. The CPI(M) candidate ‘Bhuban Pramanik has retained the seat by defeating the nearest TMC rival by 8410 votes. The by-election was necessitated by the death of the CPI(M) MLA Dibakar Rauth. The victory of the CPI(M) is significant in the backdrop of the vicious anti-CPI(M) over Singur and Nandigram.

Biman Basu, secretary of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M), and Bengal Left Front chairman congratulated the people of Balagarh foe ensuring a big victory of the CPI(M) candidate.  A total of 84.27 per cent of votes were polled in the by-elections as against nearly 86.40 per cent polled in 2006.  The only if slightly worrying feature is the marginal increase in the voting percentage of the communal BJP and the left sectarian Naxalite CPI (M-L)

        Political Party                       Votes polled         Percentage

Total vote polled                               130619        84.27%

CPI(M)                                                60101        46.01%

TMC                                                   51691        39.57%

INC                                                       5464        4.18%

CPI(ML)                                                4530        3.47%

BJP                                                        8833        6.76%