The Trinamool Congress continued with its streak of electoral victories in the State, winning eight of the 12 civic bodies that went to polls last week and results of which were announced on Tuesday.
It retained its control over three civic bodies — Diamond Harbour, Habra and Guskara — while wresting four from the Left Front — Burdwan, Panihati, Chakdah and Balurghat, and one, Dubrajpur, from the Congress.
The Congress retained Haldibari and Dalkhola civic bodies while the Left Front managed to hold on to Mekhliganj. None of the contesting parties could win an absolute majority in Alipurduar.
Though the results have boosted the Trinamool Congress, which had swept the rural polls in the State in July, opposition parties have alleged massive electoral malpractices in the polls.
Over 80 per cent of the 8.4 lakh voters in the State had exercised their franchise on September 21 for the elections to the civic bodies spread across nine districts in the State.
Alleging that the ruling party had resorted to threats, intimidation and booth capturing during the polls; the Left Front had announced a withdrawal from the election process for the Burdwan and Chakdah municipalities on the day of polling. Demanding a re-poll there, its leadership had said its candidates would resign even if they win the elections.
Commenting on her party’s performance in the polls, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee described it as the “victory of the people”.
“The Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Bharatiya Janata Party, All India Forward Bloc — all the four-five parties put together have got 30 per cent of the votes. The Trinamool Congress that contested on its own has won 70 per cent of the votes. The credit is not ours but of the people,” she told journalists after an administrative meeting in the State’s Purulia district.
Of the 244 municipal wards in 12 civic bodies that went to polls, the Trinamool Congress won in 156, the Left Front retained 52 and Congress candidates emerged victorious in 30 wards.
Asked whether the results are an indication that her urban support base is intact, she said: “It is not only intact but has increased.”
Biman Bose, chairman of the Left Front Committee said that in view of the “anti-democratic atmosphere” in which the elections were held, with Trinamool Congress activists unleashing a reign of terror, the verdict does in no way reflect the actual choices of the people. Despite the violence people had voted the Left candidates in one civic body and some wards in the other municipalities but in most places they were denied to exercise their democratic rights.
The State Congress leadership echoed similar views but added that the fact that it has retained two civic bodies comes as satisfaction to the party.
