The BJP was ahead in Kaliaganj, ruling Trinamool Congress was leading in Karimpur, while the Congress was occupying the pole position in Kharagpur Sadar after the first round of counting on Thursday for the West Bengal Assembly bypolls. The by-elections were held on November 25.

bengal bypolls
Women queue-up to cast their votes at a polling booth during 2019 Lok Sabha Election re-polls in Bankura, West Bengal on May 19, 2019.IANS

BJP contestant Kamal Chandra Sarkar leading in Kaliaganj

In Kaliaganj, BJP contestant Kamal Chandra Sarkar was leading by 1,600 votes over his Trinamool Congress rival. In Kharagpur Sadar, Left Front backed Congress candidate Chittaranjan Mondal was leading by 980 votes. In Karimpur, Trinamool Congress candidate Bimalendu Sinha Roy has left behind his rivals by over 4,000 votes.

The Left Front and the Congress have formed an alliance with the Congress in the fray from Kharagpur and Kaliaganj and Left Front major CPI-M from Karimpur. The Kaliaganj seat fell vacant after the incumbent Congress legislator Pramathanath Roy passed away. Kharagpur Sadar went to the hustings as the sitting MLA -- BJP's Dilip Ghosh — was elected to Lok Sabha from Medinipur constituency earlier this year.

Bharatiya Janata Party TMC
A huge police force, including personnel from Rapid Action Force, rushed to the area to maintain calm.

Likewise, the Karimpur constituency in Nadia district had to go for the by-poll with its lawmaker Trinamool's Mahua Moitra winning the Lok Sabha battle from Krishnnanagar. During the general elections, the BJP led in the Assembly segments of Kharagpur Sadar and Kaliaganj, while the Trinamool was ahead in Karimpur.