West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday registered a landslide victory and retained power in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for the third consecutive time.
The TMC won 134 of the 144 wards in the municipality polls. Of the 144 wards, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got 3, Congress and Left Front bagged 2 each, while 3 wards went to independent candidates. However, the data show that the Left Front has emerged as the principal opposition, leaving BJP behind in Kolkata civic polls. Left Front bagged the second spot in almost two-thirds of 144 wards of KMC. The polls took place amid heightened security and adherence to Covid-19 protocols on 19 December at 4,959 polling booths across Kolkata. In the results announced on Tuesday, it has come to light that TMC polled 71.95%, Left 11%, BJP 8.94%, Congress 4.47%, and Independents polled 3.64%. The Left Front is in second place in at least 65 wards of the total 144, BJP in second place in around 50 wards, followed by Congress in 15 wards.
The officials started the counting of votes for KMC polls this morning at 8 am. The TMC has been in power in KMC since 2010. In the last KMC polls held in 2015, TMC won 114 wards, while the Left bagged 15. BJP managed to win six wards, Congress five and others got three. However, many opposition councillors joined the ruling camp later.
Reactions from West Bengal leaders have been pouring in after KMC results were made official. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari took a dig at the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal for “allowing an atmosphere of fear to prevail”. In its letter to the State Election Commission on Sunday, the BJP said, “With the utmost of regret and concern the BJP would like to put on record that today’s polls for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has been made a farce. Since the morning, for the entire day widespread violence, booth capturing, CC-1, cameras face covered or made to face away from the booth, our agents being driven out of booths, goons of TMC accompanying voters to the EVM.” Other Opposition parties in the state, including the Left Front and Congress, called the KMC election a “farce”. They have complained that massive violence took place during polling. The BJP has also moved to court seeking repoll of KMC elections. Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar alleged that the ordinary people could not vote.
However, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee hailed the party’s victory in the municipal polls as a “landmark victory”. Mamata Banerjee also thanked KMC residents for putting their faith in TMC again. The Chief Minister said, “It is a landmark victory. It is the victory of democracy. It has sent a clear message that people have accepted our work. BJP, Left and Congress are nowhere.”
Meanwhile, BJP candidate Meena Devi Purohit won from KMC ward 22. “I am happy to be elected as a sixth-time councillor. This is a win for the public and BJP workers. The people who work for the public will eventually win. The voting process was not neutral. Had it been neutral, BJP would have got more seats,” Purohit said. In KMC ward 23, BJP candidate Vijay Ojha registered a victory. “This is a victory for the people of ward no 23. There is nothing to say about the neutrality of elections, everyone is aware of the incidents that took place in various wards during the election. BJP would have got more seats if the election was conducted fairly,” Ojha said. BJP candidate Sajal Ghosh also won.
Among the heavyweight leaders of Joraful, Qarji Bandyopadhyay, Firhad Hakim, Pooja Panja, Mala Roy, Sushant Ghosh, Paresh Pal, Debashis Kumar, Ratna Chattopadhyay left their rivals behind. Fayyaz Ahmed Khan, the Trinamool Congress candidate from Ward 7, took the lead with 4800 votes after a few rounds of counting. Later, he won by a margin of more than 72,000. Trinamool All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee tweeted after the victory. “The people of Kolkata proved once again that there is no place for hatred and violence in Bengal. Thank you all for your blessings. We will always be engaged for your good. Thanks to the residents of Kolkata,” Abhishek Banerjee tweeted. Firhad Hakim won from ward No. 72.
