The TMC gained all of the 4 municipal companies, Asansol, Bidhannagar, Chandannagar and Siliguri, within the outcomes declared Monday, getting 61% of the votes. While the Left edged out the BJP to the second spot, their vote shares have been a distant 16.75% and 14.5% respectively. The Congress acquired solely 3.5% votes.
The outcomes are an enormous increase for the TMC forward of the civic polls to 108 municipalities on February 27, and stretch its successful spree now to each single election held within the state because it returned to energy final yr. The BJP, in the meantime, has been repeatedly going downhill, with the large Assembly defeat hastening defects from it.
The shrinking Opposition is clear from the civic ballot victory margins. In the 2021 Assembly polls, the TMC had obtained 48% of the votes and the BJP 38%. In the seven seats for which elections have been held final yr, the TMC acquired 70.2% votes, with not less than two candidates successful by greater than 1.4 lakh margin. The TMC left different events even additional behind within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections, held in December final yr, getting 72% votes to the BJP’s 9%.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh mentioned: “It is obvious from this big mandate that there isn’t any various to the TMC in West Bengal. People of the state have put their religion in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The BJP’s divisive and communal politics is not going to work right here.”
For the BJP, an even bigger fear is that among the votes it had wrested within the state is perhaps shifting again to the Left. In elections held for the reason that Assembly polls, a number of of its candidates have didn’t retain their deposits. With 5 of its MLAs shifting to the TMC, although not resigning from the celebration, the BJP’s unofficial power within the Assembly is 70, down from 77. There is open infighting, particularly for the reason that announcement of a brand new state committee in December, with many voicing displeasure over the best way the celebration was being run by state BJP normal secretary (Organisation) Amitava Chakravorty, and momentary expulsion of senior leaders Ritesh Tiwari and Joy Prakash Majumdar for indiscipline.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar performed down the upheavals as a part of the “transition phase” after the formation of the brand new state committee. “As far as the civic polls are concerned, these were a farce. The true mandate of the people was not reflected. The police and State Election Commission remained mute spectators to the ruling party’s terror and violence.”
Having didn’t win a single seat within the Assembly elections in its alliance with the Congress, the Left Front will take some coronary heart from the civic ballot outcomes. Its higher exhibiting in comparison with the BJP within the civic polls, together with elections to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, exhibits that the Left nonetheless retains its pockets of affect. The Congress however is struggling.
Senior CPM chief Sujan Chakraborty mentioned the massive win of the TMC was as a result of “looting of votes”. “Still, our candidates did better than the BJP.”
State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury conceded the celebration had “a long way to go”. However, he additionally accused the police and SEC of remaining “mute spectators”. “People could not exercise their franchise properly.”
Changing vote shares
2019 LS polls
TMC: 43.30%
BJP: 40.70%
Left Front: 6.33%
Cong: 5.67%
2021 Assembly polls
TMC: 48%
BJP: 38%
Cong: 5%
Left Front: 3%
2021 Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections
TMC: 72%
BJP: 9%
Left Front: 12%
Cong: 4%
2022 civic polls to 4 municipal companies
TMC:61%
Left Front: 16.75%
BJP: 14.5%
Cong: 3.5%
,
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
