The Trinamool Congress swept the recently-conducted civic polls to seven municipalities in West Bengal, while the BJP gained ground and came second and the left Front and Congress got obliterated from the State’s electoral map.
While the left parties managed to win only one seat at Nalhati, the BJP won six, including four in Dhupguri and one each in Buniadpur and Panskura.
The remaining seats were pocketed by the State ruling outfit. Curiously both Durgapur and Haldia were won by the Trinamool which had to concede three Assembly seats in these areas to the left in the State elections last May.
Elections were held on August 13 to Durgapur, Haldia, Panskura, Nalhati and Cooper’s Camp in South Bengal and Buniadpur and Dhupguri in the northern part of the State. Though the Congress and left withdrew their candidates in some boards alleging large-scale violence and booth-capturing the BJP stayed put and was rewarded with six seats in seven boards.
The TMC won all the 43 wards in Durgapur and all 12 wards at Cooper’s Camp. In Haldia the party won all the 29 seats amid allegations that even the local left Front MlA failed to cast her vote on August 13.
In Nalhati in Birbhum district the Trinamool won 14 out of 12 seats with the left and Independent winning one each.
The ruling party bagged 17 out of 18 seats in Panskura with the remaining one going to the BJP.
Reacting to Thursday’s results TMC Minister Firhad Hakim said, “repeatedly Mamata Banerjee is proving her mettle through her developmental works. We can see it in the election results. The people have yet again given them a good reply.”
Congratulating his party workers for bagging the second position in the polls BJP State president Dilip Ghosh said,”The results itself show how the TMC has won the elections with money and muscle power. Despite that we have fought them bravely and proved to the people that only the BJP can give them an alternative.”
CPI(M)’s Sujan Chakraborty said, “Even a horse would laugh seeing the results where an MlA cannot vote. There are at least three boards where we have our MlAs. So what happened in just 14 months that we lost these seatsIJ The answer is with Mamata Banerjee and the BJP. But let us remind you that the way she is doing the spadework for BJP in Bengal she will have to repent in future.”