Trinamool dominates postal ballot voting, wins 26 out of 42 Parl seats

Kolkata: Amidst the context of postal ballot voting, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has emerged victorious in 26 out of Bengal’s 42 Parliamentary constituencies (PCs).

The remaining 16 seats were clinched by the BJP, while the Left and Congress failed to secure a single constituency in the postal ballot voting.

TMC candidates who benefited from postal ballots are from PCs namely Uluberia, Serampore, Mathurapur, Kolkata South, Kolkata North, Kanthi, Jaynagar, Jhargram, Jangipur, Jadavpur, Howrah, Hooghly, Arambag, Ghatal, Diamond Harbour, Bolpur, Bishnupur, Birbhum, Basirhat, Barrackpore, Bardhaman- Durgapur, Burdwan East, Barasat, Bankura, Asansol and Dum Dum.

The seats bagged by BJP in postal ballot voting are Ranaghat, Raiganj, Purulia, Malda North, Malda North, Murshidabad, Medinipur, Krishnanagar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, Bongaon, Alipurduar, Tamluk, Balurghat and Berhampore.

A section of government employees had initiated a movement demanding Dearness Allowance (DA) at par with the Central government employees. There were speculations of its impact on postal ballot voting.

However, the results of the elections revealed that the bulk of the state employees are satisfied with the increase of four per cent DA that elevated the previous DA rate of 10 per cent to 14 per cent.

On March 1, the state Finance department issued a notification declaring that whole-time state government employees shall draw DA at 14 per cent of Basic Pay with effect from May 1, 2024.

The government will be spending Rs 2,400 crore for payment of DA and 14 lakh state government employees will reap fruits from it.

A senior leader of Paschim Banga Sarkari Karmachari Federation — the state government employees’ union affiliated to the Trinamool Congress — said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has increased the DA of state government employees from time to time and even increased the wages of the contractual employees.

“This is the reason behind the government employees extending their support to Trinamool Congress in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections,” he said.

Swapan Mondal, leader of Left affiliated Bangiya Sikshak and Sikshakarmi Samiti said: “It is an open secret that the Left has a large organisation of teachers and state employees. But, it is unfortunate that it did not get reflected in the election results.”