Kolkata, Nov 10 (IANS) The opposition Trinamool Congress-Congress combine was ahead in six and the Left Front in three as votes cast in Saturday’s by-elections in 10 assembly constituencies of West Bengal were counted Tuesday.
The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha-backed independent Wilson Champamari was leading by over 8,000 votes after the fourth round of counting at Kalichini in north Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.

Trinamool nominees were ahead in Belgachia (East), Bongaon, Contai South, Serampore and Alipore while Left Front partners CPI-M, Forward Bloc and Democratic Socialist Party were leading in Rajganj, Goalpokhar and Egra respectively. The Congress candidate was in the lead in Sujapur.

The Trinamool’s lead in Belgachia (East) on Kolkata’s outskirts was significant as the constituency had elected popular Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Subhas Chakraborty seven times. Chakraborty died earlier this year.

To cash in on a perceived sympathy wave, the CPI-M nominated Chakraborty’s widow Ramala against Trinamool leader Sujit Bose.

The CPI-M and Trinamool Congress are contesting in five and seven seats respectively. The others have been left for the Left Front allies and the Congress.

With the Left losing its grip over the state under the assault of the Trinamool-led opposition, the by-elections are considered a trailer to the 2011 assembly elections.

However, Saturday’s by-elections were mainly held in areas considered opposition citadels. Despite the Congress and the Trinamool fighting separately, they had managed to win seven of the 10 constituencies in the last assembly elections in 2006.