The Trinamool Congress swept the polls to the 108 civic bodies across West Bengal, winning 102 municipalities. In pockets across the State where the Opposition still had some sway, the results established the complete dominance of the ruling party.
Whether it was the Kanthi Municipality, where leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and his family maintained political dominance for decades or the Behrampore Municipality in Murshidabad, where Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury kept the party flag flying high, the Trinamool Congress won without much resistance. In Barrackpore subdivision, which is considered a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party MP and State vice-president Arjun Singh, the party lost all the eight municipalities to the TMC.
The Left Front got one while others won in one civic body. In four civic bodies, there was no clear winner and the results indicated a hung municipal board. Elections to the municipalities were held on February 27 and the results declared on Tuesday.
A surprise
The results of the Darjeeling Municipality sprang a surprise, with a newly established ‘Humro Party’ winning the maximum number of wards. The Left Front managed to win Taherpur Notified Area in Nadia district.
The results indicate that in 31 civic bodies, all the municipal wards have gone to the TMC nominees. In eight other municipalities, party candidates, along with dissenters of the TMC who contested as independents, won all the wards.
The election was held under widespread allegation of electoral malpractices and violence. The BJP, Left parties and the Congress had submitted over 1,000 complaints to the West Bengal State Election Commission after the polls.
Of the 2,171 municipal wards that went to the polls, the TMC candidates won 1854 civic wards and were leading in 11 other wards. BJP nominees won in 63 wards. The Left Front won in 56 wards and was leading in one. In about 59 municipal wards, the Congress candidates won or were leading. Independents candidates, mostly dissenters of the TMC, won in 119 wards.
Decline in BJP vote share
In terms of vote share, the TMC secured 63% votes across all the civic bodies and the Left parties and the BJP both secured 13% votes each. Congress candidates got 5% votes.
The polls indicate a decline in the BJP vote share from the 38 % votes it secured in the 2021 Assembly polls. The Left and the Congress gained some ground compared to their dismal performance in 2021, when they failed to win a single seat. The BJP has emerged as a main Opposition party since 2016 and the results of the civic body indicate that its vote percentage is declining and the Left parties are gaining ground. The BJP, which had won a number of Assembly seats in north Bengal in 2021, failed to win a single civic body in the region.
“Heartfelt 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 Election. 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,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on social media.
Later in the day, the Chief Minister refuted allegations of electoral malpractices in the civic polls. She said there were some EVM-related issues that were taken care of. The Chief Minister welcomed the results in Darjeeling and said elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration ( GTA) will be held soon.
State Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said “West Bengal remains in the same darkness where it was before”.
BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said the situation in West Bengal was not conducive for a free and fair elections and the party did not accept the results.
