Kolkata: With the CPI(M) vote bank massively gravitating towards the BJP that has now emerged as the principal opposition to the Trinamool Congress in Bengal, the saffron party has made huge inroads, gaining lead in 18 seats. According to the latest trends, the TMC is leading in 22 seats with the Congress gaining ground in 2. The Left has failed to open its account.
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee tweeted: "Congratulations to the winners. But all losers are not losers. We have to do a complete review and then we will share our views with you all. Let the counting process be completed fully and the VVPATs matched votes."
Veteran Trinamool Congress leaders Subrata Mukherjee and Dinesh Trivedi are trailing behind their BJP rivals, Subhas Sarkar in Bankura and Arjun Singh in Barrackpore. Moon Moon Sen who had won the Bankura seat in 2014 is trailing behind Babul Supriyo.
Mala Roy and Sudip Banerjee are ahead of their contenders in Kolkata South and Kolkata North seats respectively. Actors Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan are leading in Jadavpur and Basirhat seats respectively in their inaugural debut while Dipak Adhikari (Dev) is leading in Ghatal.
The 2019 election has revealed a unique trail — the massive transfer of the CPI(M) vote to BJP seemed to happen only to teach Mamata Banerjee a lesson. Ever since she came to power in Bengal in 2011, the CPI(M) has been experiencing a massive erosion in its support base. In 2016 Assembly polls, the CPI(M) got 26 seats while RSP, Forward Bloc and CPI got 3, 2 and 1 seats respectively. In 2018 Panchayat elections, the Left Front could not improve its position. The local leaders of the party succumbed to the BJP's money power and supported the party with the election machinery.
In 2014, CPI(M) got 28 percent votes while the BJP got 17 percent votes. In 2019, the poll percentage of the CPI(M) came down to 5 percent while the remaining 23 percent went to the BJP taking the poll percentage of the saffron party to 40 percent.
The Trinamool Congress has increased its poll percentage to 45 but because of the CPI(M)'s support, the party lost seats. The massive poll campaign of Mamata Banerjee comprising 124 rallies along with the massive development work carried on throughout the state coupled with various schemes that include providing rice at Rs 2 per kg to free medical treatment and scholarships for students failed to yield results as the Trinamool Congress had to fight against the BJP, CPI(M) and Congress. It may be mentioned that Banerjee had alleged that the trio had come under one umbrella and "Bam (Left) vote will go to Ram (BJP).
In several areas, particularly in North Bengal and Jangalmahal, the TMC suffered from infighting. Almost in all the party meetings, Banerjee had warned that stern action would be taken against those indulging in infighting. But her warnings have fallen flat and in North Bengal and Jangalmahal, the party candidates are trailing behind their BJP rivals.
The Congress has two candidates — Adhir Chowdhury and AHA Khan Chowdhury — who are leading from Berhampore and Malda South seats. See inside