Kharba result, a befitting reply to campaigners : Bhuniya

Kolkata, Apr 17 (UNI) The West Bengal Congress today said the Kharba Assembly byelection result was a befitting reply to those termed the party a ''B'' team of the CPI(M).

'' The Congress leadership is ecstatic over this victory. The win bears an ample testimony to the fact that the party is still a force to reckon with in the state, '' Congress leader Manas Bhuniya told newspersons here.

The Congress retained the Kharba Assembly seat in Malda district, defeating the CPI(M), while both the BJP and Trinamool Congress forfeited their deposits.

The election was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA Mahbul Haq, father of winning candidate Asif Mahboob.

Mr Bhuniya claimed that Asif Mahboob would be the youngest MLA in the House and the victory would encourage more and more youths to come to their party fold in near future.

He said the result had silenced those critics, who had been indulging in campaign that the Congress was the ''B'' team of the CPI(M).

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