Kolkata, Apr 13 (IANS): West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday retained the Kanthi Dakshin assembly seat in Purba Medinipur district with an impressive margin while the BJP finished second.

Trinamool candidate and former Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya trounced Bharatiya Janata Party's Sourindramohan Jana by over 42,000 votes.

Bhattacharya got 95,369 votes and Jana 52,843. Trinamool had won the seat by over 34,000 votes in 2016. Bhattacharya had lost from Dum Dum (North) in the 2016 assembly polls.

Communist Party of India candidate Uttam Pradhan, who had finished second in 2016, lost his security deposit this time.

In 2016, the Left Front had a tie-up with the Congress. The BJP had then taken the third place.

The Congress also put up a poor show, with its nominee Nabakumar Chanda getting only around 1.3 per cent of the votes.

The by-election was held on April 9.

The seat fell vacant after Trinamool legislator Dibyendu Adhikari was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tamluk in 2016.