Trinamool clinches Sabang by-poll

The Trinamool Congress has finally managed to wrest the Sabang seat, which is considered to be a Congress stronghold in West Midnapore district. While the CPM has come in second, it is the BJP that has been able to reap the benefits in the bypoll.

With almost zero organisational strength and by banking on CPM and Trinamool Congress dissidents, the saffron party has managed to close the gap between itself and CPM as the main Opposition in West Bengal. BJP has taken its vote share from 2.6 % in 2016 assembly election to 18.4% in 2017 bypoll and ranked third. The remarkable rise of almost 16% in a year appears to be a shot in the arm of the saffron brigade in Bengal. For the Congress though, it has been a bad show. Not only has it lost a stronghold; it has also come in fourth.

Congress has been winning this seat for last four consecutive years. In 2016, Congress and CPM alliance won the seat with 1,27,987 votes and a share of almost 60% votes. In this bypoll, Congress has faced a rout with 18,060 votes that gives it a share of 8% of total votes polled. The abrupt end of CPM-Congress alliance forged a year ago in 2016 did not do any good to either of these two parties. The Communists got 41,987 votes, with a vote share of 20.6%. Interestingly, in 2011, when there was no alliance between Congress and CPM, the Communist party had a share of 44.41%votes.