By Express News Service
KOLKATA: The ruling Trinamool Congress on Wednesday recorded a massive victory in the West Bengal civic polls by winning 102 of 108 municipalities. The Left Front managed to retain only one municipality while the Congress failed to win even a single municipality.
Congratulating the candidates, who secured victory, TMC supremo and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “Heart-felt gratitude to Ma-Mati-Manush for according yet another overwhelming mandate to us. Congratulations to the winning candidates of All India Trinamool Congress in the Municipal Elections.’’
“Let victory enhance our responsibility and dedication. Let triumph impart humility. Let us together work for peace, prosperity and development of the state. Jai Bangla!’’ she wrote on the microblogging platform.
The ruling TMC secured victory for the first time in Behrampore municipality, the hometown of Congress party’s state president Adhir Chowdhury. The TMC bagged 22 seats out of 22.
Taking a jibe at the TMC’s victory in his stronghold, Chowdhury said, ‘’They (TMC) could have won all 28 seats. The victory of those six Congress councillors is equivalent to reaching the peak of Everest without oxygen.’’
The Congress fared badly in its Murshidabad district citadel as the TMC wrested Murshidabd, Beldanga, Dhuliyan, Jangipur, Kandi and Jiaganj-Azimganj from the Congress.
CPI(M)’s central committee member Sujan Chakrabarty alleged the results of the civic polls were nothing other than the reflection of TMC’s muscle-flexing. ‘’The state witnessed spine-chilling terror on the day of the civic polls. People could not exercise their franchise. We managed to retain Taherpur municipality because the electorates mustered up their courage to exercise their fundamental right,’’ he said.
Despite its deep inroads in north Bengal in the 2018 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP staged a poor show in the civic polls failing to win a single civic body. After the debacle, the BJP on Wednesday called for an introspection meeting on March 5 at the National Library. Al MLAs, district presidents, and office-bearers of the party have been directed to be present.
The saffron camp received a massive setback in Contai municipality, the hometown of Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition who defeated Mamata in the last year’s Assembly elections from Nandigram constituency. In the Assembly polls, BJP secured lead in 18 wards out of 21 in the civic body but in the municipal elections, the saffron camp secured victory only in three seats.
Adhikari is a resident of ward 15 in Contain municipality but the BJP could not secure victory from there. TMC’s Tanushree Chakrabarty defeated BJP candidate by 228 votes. BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar resides in ward 22 of Balurghat municipality but the saffron camp failed to bloom lotus in the area of the party’s state head.
