TMC gets walkover in Sainthia, Budge Budge municipalities

KOLKATA: With the opposition parties pulling out of the poll fray in most of the wards of two civic bodies, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has got a walkover in Sainthia and Budge Budge municipalities ahead of the civic body elections in the state on February 27.

Though the opposition accused TMC of unleashing a reign of terror, political experts opined that manpower crunch in these parties had led to Trinamool's uncontested victory.

In Sainthia municipality under Birbhum district, there are 16 wards. Trinamool has fielded candidates in all the 16 wards, while the CPI (M) fielded candidates in only wards 1, 4 and 12. BJP and Congress could not field candidates there. Tarun Ghosh, Congress president of the district, said the party could not field candidates due to organisational weakness. In Budge Budge municipality under South 24-Parganas, there are 20 wards. Out of these, the opposition could not field candidates in about 12 wards, including wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6,7,9,12,15,16, 19 and 20. In these wards, Trinamool Congress candidates have won uncontested.

The last date for filing nominations for the polls in 108 civic bodies in the state was February 9.

In Dinhata, the opposition could not allot candidates to contest the polls in seven wards, including wards 1,3,9, 12, 13, 15 and 16.

In 108 municipalities, there are about 2,272 seats.

Trinamool is the only party that has fielded candidates in all the seats.

There are 10,813 polling stations for about 95.59 lakh voters. As the municipal election will be held on a single day, it is difficult for the opposition parties to deploy polling and election agents due to shortage of manpower. Meanwhile, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh and Saokat Molla was made the coordinators of the party for the civic polls in South 24-Parganas on Wednesday and Aroop Biswas was removed from the charge.

In another development, Kunal Ghosh claimed that BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was keen to return to the Trinamool Congress.

However, the TMC would not take him back because of his 'abusive comments' against the party supremo, he said.