Wait ends, BJP enters West Bengal Assembly after 15 years

"This is a win of the people, of every BJP worker. I have nothing to boast. People blessed us. I dedicate this win to Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (RSS founder), the most misunderstood statesman of 20th century," said Samik Bhattacharjee after the win, not forgetting the RSS role in the BJP emergence elections.

West Bengal State BJP President Rahul Sinha said, people have voted against Trinamool.

Reacting to media persons, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, “Bengal has seen many parties. Now it’s time for BJP. People gave us a chance. We will perform.”

Earlier, The BJP on Tuesday created a history of sorts in West Bengal as its candidate Samik crafted a win from Basirhat South in North 24 Parganas in the Indo-Bangladesh border constituency, a first for the party after 1999, when Badal Bhattacharya had won the Ashoknagar assembly seat - that too in a by-election.

It was the only time in past that the BJP had an MLA in the state. However, the BJP was in alliance with the Trinamool that time.

Samik Bhattacharjee was pitted against Trinamool candidate, footballer Dipendu Biswas.

He defeated Biswas by 1586 votes.

The constituency in North 24-Parganas district had elected Left Front major CPI-M candidate Narayan Mukherjee, emerging triumphant despite rout in the 2011 assembly polls.

Mukherjee's death necessitated the bypoll.

But continuing its poor show in the state, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate Mrinal Chakrabarty finished third.

Congress candidate Asit Majumdar was fourth.

On the other seat that went to by-polls in Chowringhee in Kolkata, Trinamool Congress candidate Nayana Bandopadhayay won the polls but BJP candidate Ritesh Tiwari came second garnering impressive number of votes.

Congress came third. Ritesh said the people voted against the Saradha scam indulged by the ruling party in Bengal.

"It is clear now that we are the main opposition in Bengal," said the BJP leader who was basking in party's entry into state assembly despite his personal loss.

He said even the disgruntled Left supporters rooted for BJP.

Chowringhee saw Nayna Bandopadhyay defeat the BJP's Ritesh Tiwari by 14,344 votes.

Bandopadhyay, actress wife of Trinamool parliamentary party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, secured 38,328 votes, while Tiwari got 23,984 votes.

Congress candidate Santosh Pathak was a close third with 23,317 votes.

The CPI-M's Faiaz Ahmed Khan finished with 8,890 votes at the fourth position, has his deposit forfeit.

Chowringhee went to the hustings prematurely after the resignation of Trinamool legislator Sikha Mitra, who won the 2011 election but quit the party.

All eyes were largely fixed on the two seats that went to polls last Saturday owing to a serious challenge thrown by an aggressive BJP to ponzi-scam hit ruling Trinamool Congress in the state.

The Mamata Banerjee-led ruling Trinamool Congress’ faced a strong challenge in these seats from BJP after its image was badly hit by the arrest of two of its party leaders in the multi-crore Saradha chit-fund scam.

Several others connected to TMC are being grilled by the CBI.

Reacting to media after winning the Chowringhee seat, Trinamool Congress General Secretary Mukul Roy said, “People have reposed their faith again in Mamata Banerjee – this bye-election has proved that people’s support has remained intact for Banerjee.”

“CPI-M has become irrelevant, similarly Congress has also become irrelevant in the state,” he claimed adding “Mamata Banerjee is the only leader who is the symbol of honesty in the country.”

“If one has to name honest leaders in the country, then Mamata Banerjee’s name has to appear among the first three,” Roy asserted.

Mukul dubbed the media reports linking Trinamool & Saradha as “malicious & motivated”.

On the other hand, not satisfied with the counting process in Basirhat (South), the ruling party of the state, Trinamool appealed for re-counting.

But Election Commission overruled the appeal and declared Samik as the winner.