Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress galloped to a landslide victory in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) election today, continuing its winning streak after the Bengal assembly polls in April-May and the recent by-polls. The party is set for a third straight term in the Civic body.
The Trinamool Congress has won 17 of the 144 wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, for which voting took place on Sunday. In the last count, the state’s ruling party was leading in 116 seats, keeping a vast lead over its nearest rivals, the BJP (five) and the Left (two). The Congress-led in just two wards.
As her rivals stayed in single digits, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the civic poll results a victory for national politics.
“Other national parties also contested but they are all defeated. This is a mandate of the people, for the people, by the people,” she said.
“We won a landslide victory because I am a daughter of the soil. We work on the ground, not in the skies. We do what we say,” said Ms Banerjee, whose recent political moves, including meetings with opposition players, have fuelled speculation that she is ready to helm the 2024 offensive against the BJP.
Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “Heartiest congratulations to all candidates for your victory in the KMC elections. Remember to serve people with utmost diligence and gratitude!”
“I wholeheartedly thank every single resident of KMC for putting their faith on us, once again.”
The Trinamool, which returned to power earlier this year with a giant victory over its main challenger BJP, has made big gains in the civic body since 2015, when it won 114 seats. The Left is heading towards a big drop from its 15-seat tally in the previous polls. The Congress remains at number 4 and is expected to finish with fewer seats than before.
The Left and the Congress, after fighting the assembly election in an alliance, decided to contest the Kolkata civic polls separately.
One of Trinamool’s prominent candidates this time is Kajari Banerjee, the sister-in-law of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. She is leading by over 3,000 votes at ward number 73, Bhowanipore.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation is divided into 144 administrative wards, which are grouped into 16 boroughs.
The Bengal BJP has alleged violence and poll violations in the civic election. In a letter to the state Election Commission on Sunday, the party described the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) polls as a farce and alleged that the police failed to check violence.
Earlier, the Trinamool Congress had accused the BJP of trying to draw voters with Biryani in one of the wards.
