Bengal rural poll sees TMC sweep

The Trinamool Congress reinforced its domination of rural West Bengal, bagging 9,270 seats in gram panchayats while the BJP emerged as the main challenger to the ruling party in most districts, results available late Thursday afternoon showed.

Counting began at 8am under tight security and passed off peacefully. The Bengal government had come under fire after 15 people were killed in the violence that swept the state on May 14, the polling day that also saw a bloody build-up. Around 30 people were killed this poll season.

The Trinamool was also ahead in 2,317 gram panchayat seats for which counting was on, State Election Commission (SEC) sources said. The BJP had won 2,079 seats and was leading in 200 while the Communist Party India (Marxist) bagged 562 and was leading in another 113, the SEC sources said.

The Congress won 315 seats and was leading in 61 seats. As many as 707 Independent had been elected and another 120 were in the lead, sources said. The Trinamool had won 95 panchayat samiti seats and was leading in 65, while the rivals were yet to open their account. The ruling party had won 10 zila parishads seats and was leading in 25.

The BJP emerged as the main challenger to the Trinamool in gram panchayat in almost every district except Murshidabad and Malda, the two Congress strongholds. In Murshidabad, the Trinamool bagged 466 seats followed by the Congress with 83. The CPI(M) and BJP got 48 and 24 seats, respectively.

In Purulia, the BJP was marginally ahead of the Trinamool in gram panchayats with 275 seats as against the 262 won by the ruling party, the SEC said.

In South 24 Parganas, the ruling party got 1,028 gram panchayat seats followed by the BJP with 177, the CPI(M) with 72 and Congress 16.

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