Trinamool Congress secures landslide victory in West Bengal civic polls, big body blow to BJP, Left

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday won 70 out of 91 civic bodies across the state while retaining control of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

Kolkata: Ruling Trinamool Congress led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday inflicted a crushing defeat on BJP and the Left scoring a a landslide victory in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), clinching 114 of the 144 wards and also winning 69 of the 91 civic bodies in districts across West Bengal.

The BJP, which was hoping to replace the Left as the main opposition in the KMC, failed miserably, managing to increase its tally from three to just seven seats.

Trinamool Congress sweeps KMC

The TMC, which in the last KMC polls had won 95 seats, increased its tally to 114 while the main opposition CPI(M)-led Left Front was reduced to just 15 from 33. Independents bagged three seats in the KMC.

The victory in the municipal polls, which was billed as the semifinal before the Assembly polls due early next year, will act as a shot in the arm for the TMC, which recently faced serious allegations of corruption, including alleged involvement of some of its leaders in the Saradha Chit Fund scam.

'Victory answer to Opposition's slander'

CM Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to dedicate party's victory “to the people of Bengal”. She also asked party workers to stay away from victory rallies in the wake of Nepal earthquake disaster.

She tweeted that the party will “dedicate the victory to Rabindranath Tagore on 9 May through Rabi Pronaam across Bengal .”

We dedicate our victory to people of Bengal. I request party workers to stay away from victory rallies today in light of #earthquake tragedy — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 28, 2015

We will dedicate our victory to Rabindranath Tagore on 9 May through Rabi Pronaam across Bengal — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 28, 2015

Opposition routed

Congress, which was fast becoming insignificant in state politics, managed to win five seats, down from eight in 2010.

Although the TMC scored a big win, it got some blows too as several heavyweights bit the dust.
Chairman of the outgoing KMC board Sachidananda Banerjee, deputy mayor Farzana Alam of TMC besides prominent party councillor Paresh Pal were defeated.

On the part of CPI(M), the leader of opposition in the outgoing KMC board Rupa Bagchi was defeated by her nearest TMC rival.

Contrary to KMC, the results in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation showed the CPI(M)-led Left Front has managed to regain some of its lost ground capturing 23 of the 47 seats.

TMC bagged 17 seats in Siliguri Municipal Corporation, which was regarded as a prestige fight for TMC leader and state minister Gautam Deb and CPI(M) leader and former minister Ashok Bhattacharya.

The Congress won five seats while the BJP got two seats and an independent won one seat in Siliguri.

For the Left which suffered major electoral reverses in recent years, the victory in Siliguri Municipal Corporation came as a morale booster.

Apart from its big victory in the KMC, TMC showed impressive results in municipalities across the state.

The party snatched Sonamukhi in Bankura, Baduria, North Dum Dum in North 24-Parganas, Mathabhanga and Tufanganj in Coochbehar, Gayeshpur municipalities in Nadia from the Left and the Congress.

The Left Front won just five municipal bodies- Jangipur, Dinhata, Daihat, Siliguri and Taherpur-- whereas the Congress won five municipalities - Murshidabad, Kandi, Jhalda, Kaliagunj and Islampur. The BJP failed to win even a single civic body.

The fate of 12 municipalities is undecided as none of the political parties managed to get a majority.

Left Front calls for strike

The Left Front had called a 12-hour general strike and the BJP a shutdown across the state on April 30.

Several trade unions, including those affiliated to the Left Front constituents and the Congress, had also given the call for a general strike the same day.

However, Mamata Banerjee today warned that the administration will take strong action against those participating in the shutdown.

"In Bengal our stand is clear that there will be no bandh, no strike. We are against bandh and strike. Administration will take strong action against those who will go for bandh. We won't let them stop the growth of Bengal," Banerjee told reporters here.

CPM and BJP have called a bandh together. They have no ideology. We appeal to people to defeat the bandh. Let there be progress — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 28, 2015

During CPM rule 78 lakh mandays were lost due to bandhs. We brought it down to zero. We appeal to people to defeat the bandh culture — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 28, 2015

"After seeing today's civic poll results they should withdraw the bandh. We have got more than two-third majority in Kolkata Municipal Corporation, while villages and suburban areas are also with us. We are with the people. There will be no bandh," she stressed.

Banerjee said trade unions had called a transport strike against the central government and asked "why suddenly a bandh has been called against us. The CPI(M) and BJP have become one and are now complementing and supplementing each other in Bengal," she charged.

Civic polls

The civic polls were held in 91 municipalities across the state on April 25 which recorded a voter turnout of 79 per cent. Voting for Kolkata Municipal Corporation took place on April 18.

Repolling at 36 booths in over five districts took place on Monday after reports of booth-jamming, booth-capturing, theft and damage of EVM machines from these booths during the April 25 polling.

Over 70 percent voter turnout was recorded in yesterday's repolling.

There were 7,636 candidates contesting for 1,946 wards of the 91 municipal bodies - one Notified Area, two Municipal Corporations (Siliguri and Chandannagar) and 88 municipalities - spread across north and south Bengal.

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