Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has won local body elections in the four major towns today. The voting had held on Saturday. This win comes at a time the party is struggling with an internal rift between Mamata Banerjee loyalists and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, with poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s outfit caught in the middle.
The Trinamool won the civic body elections in Bidhannagar – a satellite city of Kolkata – Chandannagar, Asansol and Siliguri.
“It is once again an overwhelming victory of Ma, Mati, Manush. My heartiest congratulations to the people of Asansol, Bidhannagar, Siliguri and Chandanagore for having put their faith and confidence on All India Trinamool Congress candidates in the municipal corporation elections,” Mamata Banerjee tweeted, thanking voters.
Out of 41 seats, Trinamool won 39 at in Bidhannagar, decimating rivals BJP and CPI(M) who didn’t get a single seat. Two seats went to the Congress and an independent.
In Chandernagore, the Trinamool won 31 of the 32 seats, while the CPI(M) won in one ward. The party also wrested the Siliguri Municipal Corporation from the CPI(M)-led Left Front by winning 37 out of 47 seats. The BJP won five seats and the Left placed third by winning only four seats. The Congress won one seat.
In Asansol, the Trinamool scored 66 of 106 seats and was leading in five wards, while the BJP won in five seats and the CPI(M) and Congress, two each.
Asansol witnessed a tie, the winner was decided through a draw conducted by election officials. Slips of paper with the names of the two tied candidates were dropped in a jar and then an election official drew one slip and declared the winner. Asha Prasad, the TMC candidate, was declared the winner after the draw.
The Bengal Chief Minister announced that Gautam Deb will be the mayor of Siliguri.
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