Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee had a last laugh on Wednesday, sweeping three civic bodies in the plains and making a dent in the hills, which so far had remained den of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). While GJM won convincingly in three of the four municipalities in the Gorkha hills, the Congress-Left alliance took a beating at all seven municipalities.
At Pujali in South 24 Parganas, out of the 15 seats TMC won 12, BJP had to be content with just one. But significantly, BJP is second in those 12 seats. Victory of Raiganj Municipality in Uttar Dinajpur district by TMC also holds significance as this was a Congress stronghold.
At Domkal in Murshidabad district, TMC won 18 seats out of the 21 wards. But soon after the results two of the winning candidates of Congress-Left alliance — Ashadul Islam and Rafiqul Islam defected and joined the TMC, taking the tally of seats won to 20.
These elections have been significant for Banerjee in many ways. She had successfully implemented a multi-pronged approach to secure this victory.
She had set up several development boards for different communities and announced sops. Declaring Kalimpong as a separate district earlier and Mirik as a sub-division right before the polls worked in her favour.
Banerjee had been trying to set her foot in Murshidabad district for a long time to dislodge Congress from its stronghold, represented by the party’s state unit president Adhir Chowdhury.
TMC managed to rope in Soumik Hossain, son of former Congress MP Abdul Mannan Hossain. Recently, the TMC took over Murshidabad Zilla Parishad and Baharampur Municipality with the defection of many Congress and Left Front members to TMC.
Victory of Raiganj Municipality was also well planned is in Uttar Dinajpur, one of the districts which has over 25 per cent of Muslim population. Opposition did cry foul over the way elections were conducted. But the fact remains that Banerjee had been successful in wooing Muslim votes.
FLIES HIGH WITH PREZ
- On Thursday, when Prez arrives in Bengal for a 2-day visit, he will be accompanied by Didi, reflecting her growing clout in national politics.
- Her complete control over all levels of governance from Panchayat upwards has almost decimated Congress-Left alliance in the state.
MITRA-NOMICS HELPS
- Amit Mitra, Finance Minister of Bengal, said that in the first stint of the TMC govt, planned expenditure had risen from Rs 14,615 cr to Rs 54,069 crore.
- He said that in spite of financial constraints and ‘unfavourable environment due to demonetization’, TMC had gone ahead with all its developmental schemes.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Trinamool Congress")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}