NEW DELHI:
West Bengal
chief minister
Mamata Banerjee on Sunday registered a landslide victory in the Bhowanipore bypolls with a record margin of over 58,000 votes.
With this win, Mamata will now secure the chief minister's post, which she would have had to vacate in the event of a loss.
"I have won the Bhowanipore assembly bypolls with a margin of 58,835 votes and have registered the victory in every ward of the constituency," a jubilant chief minister announced in Kolkata.
Thanking the people of the constituency, Mamata said: "Around 46% of people here (in Bhowanipore) are non-Bengalis. They all have voted for me. People of West Bengal are watching Bhowanipore, which has inspired me."
Follow TOI's live blog for latest updatesThe
Trinamool Congress chief also lashed out at the Centre for allegedly hatching conspiracies against her.
"Since the elections started in Bengal, the central government hatched conspiracies to remove us (from power). I was hurt in my feet so that I don't contest the polls. I am grateful to the public for voting for us and to ECI for conducting polls within 6 months," she said.
Mamata added that the people of Bhowanipore gave a befitting reply to the conspiracy that was hatched in Nandigram.
The TMC supremo had challenged the results of the Nandigram election, alleging that her BJP rival Suvendu Adhikari bribed the voters and engaged in corrupt malpractices.
The Trinamool Congress had registered a landslide victory in assembly polls winning 213 of 294 seats in the West Bengal assembly. The BJP won 77 seats.
After Banerjee's defeat in Nandigram, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, a state minister, vacated the Bhowanipore seat to facilitate her return to the assembly from there.
Bhowanipore is considered the home turf of Mamata. She had registered a massive victory from the constituency in 2011 as well.
(With inputs from agencies)