Trinamool makes inroads in Murshidabad, maintains sway

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday made inroads into the Congress stronghold of Murshidabad district and maintained its sway elsewhere in the panchayat <g data-gr-id="54">bypolls</g> except in Siliguri where the Left emerged victorious in the <g data-gr-id="55">mahakuma</g> <g data-gr-id="56">parishad</g> election, results of which were announced on Wednesday.

The TMC bagged 12 of the 26 seats in gram panchayats in Murshidabad, the backyard of state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. 

Congress tally went down to eight, while the CPI-M captured four seats and Independents two.

In panchayat <g data-gr-id="40">samity</g> too, TMC improved its performance winning four of the eight <g data-gr-id="43">seats,</g> while Congress secured three and CPI-M one.

In Birbhum district, out of the nine seats in gram panchayat seven were captured by the TMC and remaining two were won by independents. The TMC also bagged two seats in panchayat <g data-gr-id="50">samity</g> for which by-elections were held.

The Left, which had earlier this year captured Siliguri Municipal Corporation, maintained its winning streak and bagged Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad.

The CPI-M captured six of the nine seats of Siliguri Mahakuma <g data-gr-id="37">Parishad,</g> while the TMC won the rest.

Of the 462 seats in gram panchayat in Siliguri, the CPI-M won 173 seats, while the TMC bagged 156 seats.

The Congress won 61, BJP won 22 and Left Front partners CPI won two, RSP four, Forward Bloc eight, JMM one, Independents 34.

There was a tie in one seat. In panchayat <g data-gr-id="44">samity</g>, of the 66 seats 31 were won by the CPI-M while the TMC bagged 26. The Congress secured six seats, Independents two and the BJP one seat.

The TMC, however, showed improved performance in Jalpaiguri, another north Bengal district by bagging three of the six seats in Dhupguri panchayat <g data-gr-id="45">samity</g>. CPI-M won two and Congress one.

The TMC also won four of the eight seats in gram panchayat in Jalpaiguri. The Congress bagged three and BJP got one seat.

Commenting on the party's performance, TMC secretary general and state minister Partha Chatterjee said, “The results of the <g data-gr-id="41">bypolls</g> show that the wave is in <g data-gr-id="51">favour</g> of the developmental work ushered by Mamata Banerjee.”

“In Siliguri, we have done better than last time. Those who have been saying that democracy has been slaughtered, then how Opposition had won so many seats,” he asked.

A senior CPI-M <g data-gr-id="49">leader however</g> stated, “Wherever people could vote freely, we have won and wherever there <g data-gr-id="48">was</g> violence and intimidation we have lost.”