Continuing its winning spree in Left-ruled West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress on Friday won two constituencies defeating the Left Front supported candidates by huge margins.
The TC, an ally of Congress, increased its victory margin in both Sealdah and Bowbazar seats despite a poor turnout of slightly over 41 per cent.
The Party nominee Sikha Mitra, wife of former WBPCC president Somen Mitra who joined hand with TC to win the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat, trounced LF-supported CPI candidate Prabir Deb by 15,927 votes. Deb received 7,297 votes against Mitra's 26,227.
Another TC candidate Swarnakamal Saha beat LF-backed independent Minati Gomes by 21,577 votes from the adjoining Bowbazar constituency. Gomes received a paltry 4,650 votes against Saha's 26,227.
The two assembly seats fell vacant after Sealdah MLA Somen Mitra and Bowbazar MLA Sudip Bandopadhay left Congress to contest the Lok Sabha polls on Trinamool tickets. The Congress had claimed the seats and even put up candidates.
Later, the party withdrew its candidates from the fray following instruction from the high command which wanted to keep TC chief Mamata Banerjee in good humour and maintain its alliance with her party which had paid dividends in the Lok Sabha poll in a big way.
