Mamata Banerjee will be a gamechanger: Shatrughan Sinha after landslide win in Asansol

Mamata Banerjee is the country's favourite and popular leader. She will be a game-changer (in 2024 polls) and we will stay with her where she goes including Bihar," added Sinha, who won with a margin of over 3 lakh votes

Asansol: It seems that Shatrughan Sinha is still the king of 'Khamosh'! The actor-turned-politician indeed silenced his opposition by registering a landslide victory in Asansol parliamentary constituency by-poll on Saturday (April 16). Sinha, who recently joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured 6,56,358 votes with a winning margin of over 3 lakh over Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Agnimitra Paul, who took second place by winning 3,53,149 votes. CPIM's Partha Mukherjee bagged 90,412 votes while Congress candidate Prasenjit Puitandy got 15,035 votes. 

After the massive win, Sinha said, "Earlier in some places 'Khela Hobe' used to happen with EVMs but here free and fair elections were held without any fear. This win is of TMC, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the people of Asansol. I have never seen such an overwhelming response and love."

Asked whether he has made BJP 'khamosh', he said, "People have already done that (silenced the BJP). Mamata Banerjee is the country's favourite and popular leader. She will be a game-changer (in 2024 polls) and we will stay with her where she goes including Bihar," added Sinha, who has several hit films under his belt.

Reacting to her husband's win, Poonam Sinha, wife of Shatrughan Sinha, said, "We're happy as the people of Asansol have welcomed us with open hands. It feels like we are from Asansol only. It can only happen in India where people love each other."

Saturday has been a happy day for the ruling party in Bengal as the TMC won both Asansol parliamentary and Ballygunge Assembly seats by-elections. In Ballygunge, TMC candidate Babul Supriyo won the bypolls securing 51,199 votes. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Kalighat temple in Kolkata after the by-polls results. The Asansol Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after Supriyo, a two-time BJP MP, quit the BJP in October last year and joined the TMC. The Ballygunge Assembly seat by-poll was necessitated after the demise of state Minister Subrata Mukherjee. Polling for one parliamentary constituency Asansol and one assembly constituency Ballygunge in West Bengal were held on April 12.

(With ANI inputs)