Kolkata, Dec 24 (IANS): Trinamool Congress candidate Gita Rani Bhunia was leading by over 15,000 votes over the Left Front nominated CPI-M aspirant Rita Mondal on Sunday in the initial counting of the by-poll to the Sabang Assembly constituency in West Bengal.
"Trinamool Congress was leading by over 15,000 votes after the sixth round of counting," an Election Commission official told IANS.
Bhunia got around 35,000 votes while Mondal bagged over 19,000 votes after the sixth round of counting.
The BJP candidate, Antara Bhattacharyya was in the third position securing around 15,000 votes and the Congress' Chiranjib Bhowmick got nearly 9,000 votes.
The by-poll were necessitated by the sitting Congress legislator Manas Bhunia's resignation after he crossed over to the Trinamool. He is now a Rajya Sabha member of his new party.