TMC supporters celebrate the party's win in Biddhannagar on Monday. (Express Photo: Partha Paul)The Trinamool Congress Monday made a clean sweep in the civic polls to four municipal corporations in West Bengal — Bidhannagar, Siliguri, Chandernagore and Asansol — as per data available on the State Election Commission’s website.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated the people saying: “The election was held peacefully. The State Election Commission and administration played important roles to ensure people cast their votes. There was no trouble anywhere during polling.”
Meanwhile, BJP on Monday moved Calcutta High Court demanding Central forces for the remaining Municipalities Polls in West Bengal, scheduled for 27th February. The matter will be likely be heard by the court on Tuesday.
Although largely peaceful, sporadic incidents of violence were reported, with over 71 per cent people turning out to vote. In 2015 when elections to these four civic boards were last held, the TMC had won Asansol, Biddhannagar and Chandannagar civic bodies while the Left-Congress alliance the Siliguri civic body. Polling couldn’t be held in time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The TMC retained Bidhannagar by winning 39 out of 41 seats, but opposition BJP and the CPI(M) failed to open their account. The Congress managed to bag one seat, and an Independent candidate secured victory in one ward. In Chandernagore, the TMC bagged 31 of the 32 seats, while the CPI(M) won in one ward. The TMC's vote share in Siliguri was 78.72 per cent, while the BJP and CPI(M) managed 10.64 per cent and 8.5 per cent of the votes polled, respectively.
The Trinamool Congress Monday made a clean sweep in the civic polls to four municipal corporations in West Bengal -- Bidhannagar, Siliguri, Chandernagore and Asansol -- as per data available on the State Election Commission's website.
The Bhartiya Janata Party on Monday moved Calcutta High Court demanding Central forces for the remaining Municipalities Polls in West Bengal, scheduled for 27th February. The matter will be likely be heard by the court on Tuesday.
Amid the Bengal civic elections, Mamata Banerjee slammed the Congress, with which the TMC had not been on friendly terms of late, Banerjee claimed that no regional outfit share cordial relations with the grand old party. "The Congress can go its way, we will go ours," she said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated the people in these four civic bodies for voting for her party.
“I want to congratulate the people for giving us this mandate. The election was held peacefully. The State Election Commission and administration played important roles to ensure people cast their votes. There was no trouble anywhere during polling. This verdict will allow us to work for the people with more determination. I would urge our workers and leaders not to respond to any provocation,” said Banerjee while speaking to a Bengali news channel.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) Monday is all set to make a clean sweep in West Bengal civic polls with its candidates leading in all four municipal corporations.
In Asansol, the TMC is leading in 54 wards out of the total 106, while the BJP is leading in 4 wards. In Biddhannagar, the ruling party is leading in 39 wards out of a total of 41 while Congress is leading in one ward. In Chandannagar, the TMC is leading in 19 wards out of 32 while Left Front leading in one. In Siliguri, the ruling party is leading in 38 wards out of a total of 47 while BJP and Left Front are leading in 4 wards each.
According to the state police, security personnel will enter counting centres after 7.30 am. Section 144 of the will be imposed within 200 meters of each counting center. Outside the counting centres, the police will be assisted by units of RT Mobile, Quick Response Teams and the Armed Forces. Only those with a permit approved by the West Bengal State Election Commission will be allowed to enter the counting centres.
According to the commission, 22 rounds will be counted in Asansol and a minimum of eight and a maximum 14 rounds in Bidhannagar. In Chandannagar, a minimum of six and a maximum of 11 rounds of counting will be done while in Siliguri a minimum six and a maximum seven rounds of counting will be done.
Opposition parties have alleged that the TMC brought fake voters in Biddhannagar and Asansol. In several booths of Bidhannagar, alleged fake voters were spotted standing in queue to cast their votes.
In ward 31, ‘fake’ voters were spotted hiding in the toilet of a polling booth. The BJP claimed that the police remained mute spectators while their candidates chased away the ‘fake’ voters.
Though largely peaceful, the civic polls on Saturday were marred by isolated incidents of violence. In Asansol’s Jamuria area, the CPM alleged that TMC supporters allegedly fired shots outside polling stations number 112 and 114. CPM candidate Dayamoy Bauri said TMC workers made attempts to capture the polling booths but their supporters resisted such attempts. “As they could not capture the booths, they fired shots while fleeing the area. I congratulate my party workers for putting up a resistance,” the CPM candidate said.
The TMC however denied such claims. Local TMC leader Laltu Barik said, “This is a baseless allegation. There was a wedding near the polling booths. Sound crackers were burst which were mistaken as gun shots.”
Elections to these four municipal corporations were last held in 2015. Polling couldn’t be held in time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The counting of votes for these four civic bodies will be done on February 14.
Amidst sporadic incidents of violence, over 71 per cent polling was registered in elections to four municipal corporations in West Bengal on Saturday. While 71.87 per cent voting was registered in Asansol Municipal Corporation, 71.09 per cent polling was recorded in Biddhannagar Municipal Corporation. Chandannagar Municipal Corporation, too, saw robust polling at 70.76 per cent while Siliguri Municipal Corporation recorded 73.60 per cent polling.