Bengal Assembly by-poll: Trinamool takes huge lead in Maheshtala

Kolkata: West Bengal`s ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday seemed on course to retaining the Maheshtala Assembly seat with an impressive margin, while the BJP was in the second spot by displacing the CPI-M.

After 11 rounds of vote count in Monday`s by-poll, Trinamool candidate Dulal Das has taken a 35,000 plus lead over Bharatiya Janata Party`s Sujit Kumar Ghosh.

Left Front nominated Communist Party of India-Marxist aspirant Pravat Chowdhury, backed by the Congress, was trailing his BJP rival by over 6,000 votes in the triangular contest.

In the 2016 Assembly polls, CPI-M`s heavyweight candidate Shamik Lahiri had finished runner up to Trinamool`s Kasturi Das in the constituency.

The CPI-M led Left Front had entered into an alliance with the Congress then

Kasturi Das`s demise has caused the by-election.

Dulal is Kasturi`s husband.