The BJP and the Congress are yet to win a civic body, though the parties have won a few wards in some cities.
Kolkata: Ten months after its thumping victory in the West Bengal Assembly polls, the ruling Trinamool Congress on Wednesday stunned the entire opposition in civic polls, winning 93 out of 107 municipalities. An SEC official gave this information.
TMC won Kanthi Municipality, the stronghold of Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA from Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari, while Hamro Party, a new entrant in hill politics, defeated TMC, GJM and BJP to win Darjeeling Municipality.
The CPI(M)-led Left Front won the Taherpur Municipality in Nadia district.
The BJP and the Congress are yet to win a civic body, though the parties have won a few wards in some cities.
A State Election Commission (SEC) official said, “TMC has already won 93 municipalities and is leading in seven others. Left Front has won one civic body and Hamro Party has won one. "
TMC has reduced the number of opposition in 27 municipalities to zero, securing all the wards.
At least four municipalities - Beldanga in Murshidabad, Jhalda in Purulia, Champadani in Hooghly and Egra in Purba Medinipur district - have been razed, with no party getting a clear majority. Independents hold the key to board formation in these civic bodies.
Suvendu Adhikari and his family faced a major setback as the TMC snatched Kanthi Municipality, which was considered to be the backyard of the Adhikari family for the past four decades.
LOP's father, Shishir Adhikari, was the chairman of the municipality for 25 years from 1971–2009, except for five years from 1981–86. After becoming an MP, he handed over the command to his younger son Dibyendu Adhikari.
After Dibyendu Adhikari became an MP in a by-election in 2016, his younger brother Soumendu took over.
Hamro Party (Our Party), a new party formed by Ajoy Edwards, a former leader of the GNLF and a popular restaurateur in Darjeeling, defeated traditional forces Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, BJP and TMC to gain municipality in the hill town.
Elections were scheduled in 108 municipalities, but a few days ago, TMC won unopposed in Dinhata municipality in Cooch Behar district.
There was widespread violence, rigging and clashes with police in different parts of West Bengal from north to south in one of the most extensive election exercises in the state since the assembly elections last year.
The BJP termed the election process a "joke of democracy" and called for a 12-hour bandh on Monday to protest the violence. Terming the allegations as baseless, TMC said that the opposition parties are looking for excuses sensing the defeat.