TMC sweeps Bengal rural polls with 18k+ gram panchayat seats. BJP, CPIM-Congress compete for 2nd place
The West Bengal panchayat election results of 2023 were announced amid tight security and high tension between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The election, seen as a litmus test for both parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, witnessed sporadic violence across the state.
The Trinamool Congress emerged as the clear winner by securing victory in 28,985 gram panchayat seats and leading in 1,540 seats. The BJP secured 7,764 seats and was leading in 417 seats. The Left Front won 2,468 seats, with the CPI(M) alone winning 2,409 seats. The Congress won 2,022 seats, and other parties and independents won a combined total of 725 seats.
The election saw a significant number of re-polls in 696 booths across 19 districts due to incidents of violence and booth capturing. The voter turnout for the re-polls was reported at 69.85%.
The election was marred by allegations of violence and vote tampering. The BJP criticized the Trinamool Congress government, accusing it of “state-sponsored” violence and claiming that at least 45 people died in clashes. The BJP formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the violence, comprising members such as Ravi Shankar Prasad and Satyapal Singh.
The West Bengal governor visited the affected districts, and the state election commission ordered the repolling of affected booths. In 2018, the TMC had won uncontested in 34% of the seats, and similar allegations of hindering opposition candidates from filing nominations were made during this year’s election.
Overall, the TMC’s sweeping victory in the West Bengal panchayat election 2023 indicates a strong political hold, while the BJP remains a significant opposition force. The election results reflect the complex dynamics of West Bengal’s political landscape and set the stage for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
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