New Delhi: The results of the West Bengal assembly election, which was declared on Sunday, have established the fact that Congress has lost its vote share in West Bengal as the Grand Old party has got just 2.93 per cent of the total vote share which is even lesser than CPI (M) as the Left party has got 4.73 per cent vote.
Even the high decibel campaigning by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi failed to bring voters to its fold in the state Assembly election which was mainly fought between the ruling party – Trinamool Congress – and BJP and the party faced a great setback in the constituencies where Rahul Gandhi had campaigned.
The Grand Old party that had joined hands with its once arch-rival the Communist party and the Islamist Indian Secular Front (ISF) has failed to secure even a single seat and emerged as the 'biggest loser'.
Notably, Gandhi had campaigned in the two constituencies of Goalpokhar and Matigira-Naxalbari on April 14 – ahead of the fifth phase of the elections. Though Congress has lost all of the 92 seats it contested, but the party candidates, who contested from Goalpokar and Matigira-Naxalbari constituencies, have also lost their security deposit.
As per the Election Commission website, Congress candidate from Goalpokhar Masood Md Naseem Ahsen managed to secure just 12 per cent of the total valid votes, while Trinamool Congress nominee Ghulam Rabbani won the seat with a whopping 65.4 per cent of the votes and BJP's Ghulam Sarwar stood at second with 19.89 per cent votes.
As per the Representation of People Act, 1951, if a candidate fails to secure 1/6th (16.67 per cent) of the total valid votes, then the candidate has to lose its security deposit.
In case of Matigara-Naxalbari constituency, where Rahul Gandhi had addressed a 'large gathering', BJP candidate Anandamay Barman has won the seat with a whopping 58.1 per cent votes, while TMC candidate Rajen Sundas stood second as it secured 28.65 per cent votes and Congress was pushed to the third slot with just 9.58 per cent vote share.