TMC Maintains Huge Lead in Panchayat Election
Trinamool Congress Zila Parishad candidate Kajal Sheikh with winning candidates of gram panchayat and panchayat samiti shows victory signs after the announcement of their result in the Panchayat elections outside a counting centre, in Birbhum district, Tuesday, July 11, 2023. Image Courtesy: PTI
The TMC was leading on 18,332 Gram Panchayat seats out of 63,229 in the West Bengal three-tier Panchayat election on Tuesday with its nearest rival BJP at a distant second with 4,592 seats, according to the State Election Commission (SEC) as counting continued.
The CPM was third on 1,894 Gram Panchayat seats, the Congress fourth with 1,142 and Independent candidates were leading on 718 seats, according to the latest SEC.
According to SEC officials, counting will take more than 18 hours. A total of 73,885 seats were contested, including Gram Panchayat seats, 9,730 Panchayat Samiti seats and 928 Zila Parishad seats.
The Congress and the Left parties are fighting with the BJP to claim the position of prime Opposition.
Interestingly, the Indian Secular Front (ISF) is leading on 14 Gram Panchayats seats. The Left Front had adjusted seats with the Congress and the ISF in almost every district.
The TMC is in a neck-to-neck fight with the Left and Congress in minority-concentrated districts like Murshidabad and Malda.
In Raninagar 2 Block, Murshidabad, where TMC members had attacked CPI(M) and Congress members, the Left and Congress will form boards in seven Gram Panchayats out of nine.
In Domkal Block, Murshidabad, the Left and Congress have won five out of nine Gram Panchayats seats. In Jalangi Block, where corruption allegations against the TMC surfaced, the party could retain only three Gram Panchayat seats compared to its clean sweep in 2018.
In Bhangar, South 24 Parganas, the ISF and Jami Raksha Committee snatched Pelerhat 2 Gram Panchayat from the TMC.
In the Malda district too, the CPI(M) and Congress are hoping to win several seats. Till 4 pm, the Left and Congress were leading on 50 seats whereas TMC is leading on 52.
In Murshidabad, the TMC lost Akheriganj and Kharibona Gram Panchayats. In Domkal Subdivision, the Left and Congress candidates are leading.
Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed outside counting centres. Violence was also reported on the counting day in Ashoknagar and North 24 Parganas. TMC members attacked ISF candidate Israil Mondal and his election agent, resulting in serious injuries.
The July 8 election was marred by violence as 20 people were killed. Multiple incidents of booth capturing, bombing and vandalism were reported in every district. Cases of threats and preventing voters from voting were reported even during repolling on more than 600 booths.
State Congress president and Berhampore MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters, “During the election, TMC goons spread a reign of terror. They plan to disturb the counting as well.”
The writer is an independent journalist.
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