Trinamool Congress Leads in Kaliganj By-Election

In the early hours of the vote count for the Kaliganj assembly by-election, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has established a lead over its competitors. TMC candidate Alifa Ahamed has so far secured 4,545 votes in the initial round of counting.

Alifa Ahamed, fielded by the TMC following the death of former MLA and her father, Nasiruddin Ahamed, is ahead of Congress candidate Kabil Uddin Shaikh, who secured 1,830 votes, and BJP candidate Ashis Ghosh, who received 1,112 votes.

Election officials report that the counting process, which began at 8 am with postal ballots, is proceeding smoothly. The by-election, prompted by the death of the sitting MLA, saw a voter turnout of 69.85% amidst a largely peaceful polling day.

(With inputs from agencies.)