People's Democracy

Mixed Results In Bengal Civic Polls

BENGAL Left Front has won five of the 13 municipalities in the civic polls held on June 29.  The Trinamul Congress and Congress won three each while it was a hung result in two municipalities.

The civic bodies that have been won by the Left Front are Burdwan, Balurghat, Panihati, Chakdaha, and Mekhligunj.  (See table for statistical inputs of the poll wins of the LF)

Burdwan

Total seats 35

LF  30

Trinamul 05

Balurghat

Total seats 23

LF  22

Congress 01

Panihati

Total seats 35

LF  23

Chakdaha

Total seats 21

LF  20

Trinamul 01

Mekhligunj

Total seats  09

LF  05

Others  04

[Combined

Opposition]

Congress 04

The Trinamul Congress won at Habra (North 24 Parganas district), Diamond Harbour (South 24 Parganas), and Guskara (Burdwan).  Congress has won at Haldibari (Cooch Behar), Dalkhola (Uttar Dinajpur), and Dubrajpur (Birbhum).  Hung results have been obtained in Midnapore and Alipurduar.  

In most of the civic bodies where the Trinamul and the Congress has been successful, there was an undercurrent of understanding amongst a wide-ranging rainbow opposition from the extreme right to the sectarian left.

ELECTIONS PEACEFUL

Earlier report:

Elections to 13 municipalities across Bengal remained generally peaceful.  The Trinamul Congress did attempt to create disorder in places like Burdwan and Panihati - but the miscreants were thwarted in their efforts by the people.  A total of 32 hoodlums were arrested by the police at Panihati.

Biman Basu, state secretary of the CPI(M) has felicitated the electorate for keeping the tradition of polls being peaceful under the Left Front government.  On an average, the rate of polling was just under 90 per cent.

The municipalities being fought for are Mekhligunj, Dalkhola, Haldibari, Alipurduar, and Balurghat in north Bengal, Dubrajpur, Chakdaha, Burdwan, Guskara, Habra, and Panihati in central Bengal, and Diamond Harbour and Midnapore in south Bengal.

Of them, the Left Front runs the municipal boards of Mekhligunj, Dalkhola, Balurghat, Chakdaha, Habra, Panihati, Burdwan, and Guskara.  Congress runs the boards at Haldibari, and Alipurduar.  A mix of opposition groups are in charge of Diamond Harbour, Dubrajpur, and Midnapore.

(B P)