Kolkata: The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has secured a landslide victory in Junglemahal which was once infected with Maoists only by capitalising various developmental and social schemes that are run by the state government.
TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s social schemes cemented the place for TMC. Even a dent has been created in potential BJP votes after Independent candidates in some places enjoyed the support of ‘Kurmis’ who had extended their support to the BJP during the last Lok Sabha elections.
Independent candidates supported by Kurmis won 4 Panchayats in Junglemahal — 2 each from Purulia and Jhargram.
In Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and West Midnapore, Trinamool Congress once again established its control over the three-tier Panchayat system.
BJP which had strengthened its base during the last Lok Sabha elections has been given a major challenge by the TMC.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP had a lead in 30 Assembly segments out of 40 in Junglemahal.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, TMC won 24 seats and BJP 16.
But in the Panchayat election, TMC has far outnumbered the BJP in all the districts in Junglemahal.
TMC won 65 Gram Panchayats out of 79 in Jhargram. Independents supported by ‘Kurmis’ won two seats. In around 12 Gram Panchayats it is hung. In 2018, BJP won 6 Gram Panchayats out of a total of 7 in Gopiballavpur.
This year, Trinamool managed to win all 7 seats. In Gopiballavpur II, TMC won 4 Gram Panchayats. In tribal populated Binpur and Jambani blocks, TMC won 9 Gram Panchayats each.
In the industrial belt of Durgapur, TMC won all 6 Gram Panchayats in Pandaveswar block, 6 in Durgapur and all 8 seats in Andal.
In Ukhra Gram Panchayat in Andam, TMC won 20 seats out of 23. CPI(M) managed to win 3 seats.
BJP tried to make inroads in Birbhum, especially after the arrest of Mondal but it turned out to be a futile exercise as has been reflected in the Panchayat election result. Congress has bagged one Zilla Parishad seat. Trinamool Congress won 419 Panchayat Samiti seats out of 488/490 while out of total 2793/2859 Gram Panchayat seats, the ruling party managed to secure 2121 seats in Birbhum.
Singur in Hooghly which helped Trinamool come to power once again showed its allegiance to the ruling party. Trinamool won all the 16 Panchayats in Singur. It has always been a stronghold for the ruling party.