After winning a landslide in the recent panchayat election, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamul Congress continued its triumphant march and registered an emphatic victory in the civic body polls winning eight of the 12 municipalities where polls were held on September 21. In 2008, the Trinamul Congress had won only three — Habra, Guskara and Diamond Harbour — of these 12 municipalities. In other words, it added five more to its tally.
“After the grand victory in the panchayat polls, the civic poll triumph establishes Trinamul Congress’ supremacy in both rural and urban Bengal. The people have again endorsed Mamata Banerjee’s development programme,” industry minister Partha Chatterjee said.
Describing the result as the victory of the people, Ms Banerjee announced that her party would celebrate it alongwith the panchayat poll victory with a rally at the Brigade Parade ground on November 25.
In 2008, the Left Front had won five, Congress four and Trinamul Congress three. This time, Trinamul Congress snatched four of the five from Left Front which could retain only Mekhliganj. Left Front lost Burdwan, Panihati, Chakda and Balurghat. The Trinamul Congress wrested one civic board-Dubrajpur from Congress. The Congress could retain only two-Dalkhola and Haldibari-of the four municipalities it had won in 2008. In 20-ward Alipurduar, Left Front bagged eight and Congress and Trinamul Congress six each throwing a hung civic board. Since no party could win a clear majority, the Congress and Trinamul Congress may join hands to stop the Left Front from forming civic board in Alipurduar. In 2008, Left Front had won 137 wards out of 237 in these 12 municipalities. This year the number of wards increased to 244 out of which Left Front could get only 52 and Trinamul Congress increased its 2008 tally from 46 to 156.
The Trinamul Congress’ dominance was unmistakable. It made a clean sweep in Burdwan and Chakda rendering the two municipalities opposition-less. In 2008, in Burdwan, Left Front had won 30 of the 35 wards while Trinamul Congress had won five. This time it won all 35 seats.
In Chakda, Left Front had won 20 of the 21 wards in 2008. This time Trinamul Congress won all 21. It must be mentioned here that the Left Front had withdrawn their candidates from Burdwan and Chakda a few hours after the polling began alleging large-scale rigging and intimidation of voters.
After the announcement of the results, CPI(M) Burdwan district committee Amal Haldar said that it vindicated his party’s decision to boycott the polls. “We would have won Burdwan if the voters were allowed to vote,” he added.
The panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said that it was not Trinamul Congress’ fault that the people did not give a single seat to the opposition in Burdwan and Chakda.
Unlike the Left Front which was decimated in the civic polls, the Congress managed to remain politically relevant. The performance of the party particularly in North Bengal districts was not that bad.
The 12 municipalities where elections were held are: Chakdah in Nadia, Panihati and Habra in North 24-Parganas, Diamond Harbour in South 24-Parganas, Burdwan town and Guskara in Burdwan district, Dubrajpur in Birbhum, Mekhliganj and Haldibari in Cooch Behar, Alipurduar in Jalpaiguri, Dalkhola in North Dinajpur and Balurghat in South Dinajpur.