Mamata on victory roll in 13 out of 17 districts
Out of 254 gram panchayats in Murshidabad, the Congress won 107, the Left Front 99 and Trinamul Congress bagged only 8. Forty gram panchayats were hung.
The Trinamul Congress on Monday established its dominance in rural Bengal by trouncing the Left Front in the panchayat elections. The Trinamul Congress started its winning streak in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and coming to power in the 2011 Assembly elections.
By winning the gram panchayats in 13 out of 17 districts where rural polls were held, and heading for a convincing triumph in panchayat samiti and zilla parishad elections as well, Ms Banerjee is set to sweep rural Bengal.
The results of the fivephase panchayat elections were declared on Monday. The ruling party dominated in almost every district before the final gram panchayat results were out. The Opposition Left Front managed to win the districts of Jalpaiguri and North Dinajpur with 54 and 48 gram panchayats while the Congress retained its stronghold of Murshidabad with 107 gram panchayats after facing a tough fight from the Left Front. However, Malda district, a Congress bastion, was won by Others with 57 gram panchayats.
The Congress on Monday maintained its dominance in gram panchayats in Murshidabad as the ruling Trinamul Congress cut a sorry figure in this district. Out of 254 gram panchayat, the Congress won 107, the Left Front 99 and Trinamul Congress bagged only 8. Forty gram panchayats were hung.
Mamata Banerjee herself had campaigned for her party in Murshidabad in her determination to wrest the Congress bastion. “We could have performed much better but the Congress won because of its muscle and money power,” former Trinamul Congress minister Humayun Kabir said.
The Trinamul Congress may not have won many gram panchayats but it certainly caused Congress’ defeat in many by dividing the anti- Left vote particularly in Bhagwangola and Beldanga. “The Congress could have achieved a better result but the Trinamul Congress played spoilsport and split the anti- Left Front,” minister of state for railway and Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said.
Till filing of this report results of 10 panchayat samiti were announced and Left Front won six while Congress won four.
Similarly, in Malda, Congress managed to secure 38 gram panchayats. At the North Dinajpur, Congress won 34 gram panchayats.