The Howrah Lok Sabha by-election to be held in the shadow of Saradha chitfund scam will be a test case for the Mamata Banerjee government's popularity and for the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist to gauge their standing in West Bengal prior to the 2014 general election.
Babun Banerjee expressed displeasure over the party re-nominating Prasun Banerjee from Howrah Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal.
Trinamool Congress candidate Prasun Banerjee on Wednesday won the Howrah Lok Sabha seat in a by-election defeating his nearest rival, Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate Sridip Bhattacherjee, by over 27,000 votes.
A day after it received a considerable drubbing in Howrah Lok Sabha bye-election, Congress today sought to attribute Trinamool Congress's win to a "nexus between Mamata Banerjee's party and the Bharatiya Janata Party", saying it was the latter's 'gift' to Banerjee for walking out of the United Progressive Alliance.
By-elections for four Lok Sabha and five assembly seats in four states went off peacefully on Sunday. Results of these by-polls, which will be announced on June 5, will be keenly watched in the run-up to the 2014 general elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Centre of issuing threats of engaging CBI against the state government since Trinamool Congress quit the UPA on the issue of FDI in retail.
Centenarian Communist Party of India-Marxist leader and freedom fighter, Samar Mukherjee, who was known for his oratory and leadership, died of old age ailments on Thursday.
Other than providing Narendra Modi a sweetner ahead of the BJP's national executive meet in Goa, there are no major trends to glean from the recent by-election results, says Seema Mustafa.
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