Trinamool Congress sweeps civic polls in West Bengal 

Trinamool Congress has won 102 of 108 municipalities across West Bengal

The Trinamool Congress swept the polls to the 108 civic bodies across West Bengal, winning 102 municipalities. In pockets across the State where the Opposition still had some sway, the results established the complete dominance of the ruling party.

Whether it was the Kanthi Municipality, where leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and his family maintained political dominance for decades or the Behrampore Municipality in Murshidabad, where Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury kept the party flag flying high, the Trinamool Congress won without much resistance.

The Left Front got one while others won in one civic body. In four civic bodies, there was no clear winner and the results indicated a hung municipal board. Elections to the municipalities were held on February 27 and the results declared on Tuesday.

The results of the Darjeeling Municipality sprang a surprise, with a newly established ‘Humro Party’ winning the maximum number of wards. The Left Front managed to win Taherpur Notified Area in Nadia district.

The results indicate that in 31 civic bodies, all the municipal wards have gone to the TMC nominees. In eight other municipalities, party candidates, along with dissenters of the TMC who contested as independents, won all the wards.

The election was held under widespread allegation of electoral malpractices and violence. The BJP, Left parties and the Congress had submitted over 1,000 complaints to the West Bengal State Election Commission after the polls.

Of the 2,171 municipal wards that went to the polls, the TMC candidates had won and were leading over 1,728 wards, the BJP won and was leading in 65 wards, the Left Front won and leading in 59 wards. In about 57 municipal wards, the Congress candidates won or were leading. Independents candidates, mostly dissenters of the TMC, won or were leading in 113 wards.