West Bengal civic polls: TMC wins all seven civic bodies, BJP distant second

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress registered a convincing victory in all the seven urban local bodies for which elections were held on Thursday. Opposition parties failed to make their mark in any of the civic bodies.

While 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.

Polling was held in seven ULBs comprising five municipalities of Panskura and Haldia in East Midnapore district, Nalhati in Birbhum, Buniadpur in South Dinajpur and Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri districts, the Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC) in Burdwan West district and the Cooper's Camp Notified Authority in Nadia district. A by-election was also held in Jhargram municipality

The elections come months after the Mamata Banerjee led TMC won four out of seven municipalities in the civic polls held earlier this year. They also come at a time when the Mamata government is under criticism over the Gorkhaland standoff with no solution in sight yet.

The TMC also won the by-election in Jhargram municipality. The death of a CPI candidate necessitated the ballotting.

"The results are a reflection of people's faith in the TMC government and a befitting reply to the canards spread against us," TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, reacting to the outcome of the civic polls.

On the BJP's performance, senior TMC leader Gautam Deb said, "The Left Front has shifted its vote to the BJP. The vote share of the TMC is intact, rather we have increased our vote share.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh, however, said, "We all know that the TMC used money and muscle power to win the elections. We have seen how democracy was subverted by the TMC.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)