Kolkata Municipal Corporation election results 2021: 'It's a landmark victory; BJP, Left and Congress are nowhere,' says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday hailed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation election results 2021 and called it a ''remarkable victory'' after the ruling Trinamool Congress appeared to be inching closer to sweeping the civic polls, according to the latest trends.

“It's a landmark victory, it has sent a clear message that people have accepted our work. BJP, Left & Congress are nowhere,” West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said.

It's a landmark victory, it has sent a clear message that people have accepted our work. BJP, Left & Congress are nowhere: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

Out of the 144 seats, TMC has won 54 and is leading on 78 as per the latest official trends.#KolkataMunicipalElection2021 pic.twitter.com/dVYO1e1FgQ — ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2021

Her remarks came after TMC won 54 wards and the party candidates were said to be leading on 78 others, as per the latest official trends.

In a tweet, the Trinamool chief said, “Heartiest congratulations to all candidates for your victory in the KMC elections. Remember to serve people with utmost diligence and gratitude! I wholeheartedly thank every single resident of KMC for putting their faith in us, once again.”

Heartiest congratulations to all candidates for your victory in the KMC elections. Remember to serve people with utmost diligence and gratitude!

I wholeheartedly thank every single resident of KMC for putting their faith on us, once again. — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 21, 2021

Earlier, the trends of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) election results showed that the Trinamool Congress was heading towards a landslide victory.

The early leads available for the 102 wards around 12 noon showed that the ruling party was leading in 93 seats and the opposition cumulatively managed to take a lead in only eight seats and an independent candidate was leading in one seat. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has 144 wards in total.

The early trend also showed that the ruling party might even cross the previous record where the Trinamool Congress got 114 seats, Congress 5 seats, Left Front 15 seats and the BJP managed to win in only 7 seats. 

Three seats were won by independent candidates. In this election, the ruling Trinamool Congress is likely to increase its tally.

Outgoing mayor Firhad Hakim, who went to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after the results started coming in, told the reporters, "We should accept the mandate of the people. We also did opposition politics for 34 years, but we never questioned the people. They defeated us and we accepted it with a whole heart".

Hitting out at the BJP for their demand for repoll, Hakim said, "One should have the moral courage to accept the people`s mandate. The BJP is insulting the common people -- the voters who went all the way from their houses to the polling stations to give their vote. BJP is insulting them. They have given the answers."

The counting is going on under strict security in 11 locations across the city. There is a three-tier security system and the strong rooms and the counting centers have been covered by the CCTVs to avoid any kind of untoward incident. 

The inner two rings of the security cordon are maintained by the armed forces. The full result is expected to be announced in the afternoon.

When asked whether Firhad Hakim will be the next mayor, senior Trinamool Congress leader said, "That will be decided by the party. Once the result comes in the leadership will decide the future mayor of the city".

The BJP is leading in ward number 22, 23, 41, 42 and 50 and the Congress in ward number 45. The CPI(M) is leading in ward number 103.

The KMC is divided into 144 administrative wards, which are grouped into 16 boroughs. Sporadic incidents of violence, including the hurling of bombs at two booths, marred the KMC elections on Sunday, even as over 63 per cent of the nearly 40.5 lakh voters exercised their franchise.

The TMC has been in power in KMC since 2010. In the last KMC polls in 2015, it had won 124 seats, whereas the Left Front bagged 13. The BJP and the Congress had secured five and two seats, respectively.