Mamata wins Bhabanipur bypoll,EC bans victory celebration

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has won the Bhabanipur bypoll by a margin of over 58,000 votes. BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal has conceded defeat and said that Mamata didn’t get the 1 lakh vote margin she had promised. Ms  Banerjee wins by 58,832 votes, defeating BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal. Mamata Banerjee, who lost the assembly elections to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari after she challenged him in Nandigram, sought re-election from Bhabanipur to retain her chief ministership in Bengal. Bhabanipur voted on Thursday and registered 57% voter turnout. She was pitted against BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal and CPIM's Srijib Biswas in the Bhabanipur bypoll.  After the victory in Bhabanipur by-election, Mamata Banerjee said, "I thank you all. Sisters, brothers, mothers and everyone from India."

Counting of votes for by-elections to four assembly constituencies – three in West Bengal and one in Odisha -- commenced at 8am on Sunday and is currently underway. The three assembly constituencies in Bengal are Bhabanipur, Jangipur and Samserganj, while the one in Odisha is Pipili.  Bypolls were held in Murshidabad's Samserganj and Jangipur seats as well that recorded a high voter turnout of over 77% each,

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday asked the West Bengal government to ensure that no victory celebration or procession takes place during or after the counting of votes for the ongoing by-polls in the state. The EC order comes as counting of votes for the by-polls in Bhabanipur, Jangipur and Samserganj assembly constituencies in West Bengal is underway amid tight security. Shortly after the orders by the panel, Mamata Banerjee asked her party leaders to follow the directives and not allow any victory procession or rally in Kolkata and other districts, said transport minister Firhad Hakim. Several TMC workers and supporters were spotted celebrating outside the residence of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata following her lead in the 9th round of counting of votes in the Bhabanipur bypolls.