West Bengal civic polls: TMC wins all seven civic bodies, makes clean sweep in three

SANTANU CHOWDHURY | IE | Kolkata | August 17, 2017: The Trinamool Congress on Thursday won all seven civic bodies which went to polls last week. The ruling party made clean sweeps in Durgapur Municipal Corporation, which is the largest civic body among the seven, Haldia Municipality and Coopers’ Camp Notified Area. Opposition parties failed to make their mark in any of the civic bodies.

The BJP remained second after it won four out of sixteen wards in Dhupguri Municipality and one ward each in Panskura and Buniadpur municipalities. The CPM-led Left Front won Nalhati Municipality while Congress failed to secure any seat. Out of 148 wards in seven civic bodies, TMC won 140 wards, BJP won 6, Left Front won 1 and an Independent candidate won 1.

“The Opposition did not play a positive and constructive role in the state. They only indulged in attacking the ruling party and criticising the state government. They only competed among themselves and the result is here. Our party won because we are always for development,” TMC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee said.

In Durgapur Municipal Corporation, TMC won all 43 wards. “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had declared West Burdwan as a separate district for better development and people have showed their full faith on her. We want to thank the people of Durgapur for supporting us. They have foiled BJP’s attempts to disrupt the election in Durgapur by bringing outsiders from Bihar and Jharkhand,” state Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Aroop Biswas told The Indian Express. Biswas was also TMC’s election-in-charge of Durgapur Municipal Corporation.

In East Midnapore districts Haldia Municipality, the TMC won all 29 wards. “In 2012, we had won 11 wards while Left Front had won 15 wards. Despite winning the civic body, they could not complete the full tenure as Opposition councilors defected to our party. People of Haldia understood that they have to elect the ruling party to usher in development,” state Transport Minister and TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari said.

In terms of vote share, BJP emerged second in Haldia. “It is evident from BJP vote share that Left votes got transferred to BJP. However, TMC’s vote share has increased from last time. This time we have received more than 60 per cent votes in Haldia. We are not worried,” Adhikari added. In Panskura Municipality of the same district, TMC won 17 wards out of 18 while BJP won 1.

The party also won all 12 wards in Coopers’ Camp Notified Area in Nadia district. In Jalpaiguri district’s Dhupguri Municipality, TMC won 12 wards out of 16 while BJP won four. This is the only municipality among the seven where TMC lost more than three wards. In Nalhati Municipality in Birbhum district, TMC won 14 wards out of 16 while Left Front won 1 and another ward went to an Independent candidate. In South Dinajpur district’s Buniadpur Municipality, TMC won 13 wards out of 14 while BJP won 1. Apart from BJP, Opposition parties Left Front and Congress failed to make its present in any of the seven civic bodies and were decimated in the civic polls.