Trinamool Leading In Bengal Rural Polls

The ruling Trinamool Congress today looked poised to sweep to a massive victory in violence-scarred rural polls in Bengal as the overnight count of ballots gave it an unassailable lead in results declared till now by the State Election Commission.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday thanked the people of West Bengal for the TMC's huge win in the panchayat elections.

Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress has established a mammoth lead over its nearest rival, the BJP, in the local bodies' elections seen as a litmus test for next year's general elections.

According to the latest declarations by the State Election Commission, the TMC is leading in 14,972 gram panchayat seats. Its nearest rival BJP is leading in 3,421 seats out of 63,329 seats as of 4.30pm.

The latest trends indicate that Trinamool Congress is leading in over 3,068 gram panchayat seats in West Bengal while the BJP is ahead in 1,151 seats as of 12.30pm, State Election Commission officials said on Tuesday.

In various districts, TMC supporters celebrated their victory by dancing and smearing each other with green gulal.

The counting of votes for the three-tier panchayat polls to nearly 74,000 seats in West Bengal began on Tuesday morning amid tight security, officials said.

The Trinamool Congress reinforced its dominant position in rural West Bengal's local bodies, elections of which were hit by rampant violence leaving several dead. Mamata Banerjee's party bagged 9,270 seats in gram panchayats, while the BJP emerged as the main challenger in most districts, according to results available till 2 pm today.

The ruling Trinamool Congress today looked poised to sweep to a massive victory in violence-scarred rural polls in Bengal as the overnight count of ballots gave it an unassailable lead in results declared till now by the State Election Commission.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday thanked the people of West Bengal for the TMC's huge win in the panchayat elections.

Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress has established a mammoth lead over its nearest rival, the BJP, in the local bodies' elections seen as a litmus test for next year's general elections.

According to the latest declarations by the State Election Commission, the TMC is leading in 14,972 gram panchayat seats. Its nearest rival BJP is leading in 3,421 seats out of 63,329 seats as of 4.30pm.

The latest trends indicate that Trinamool Congress is leading in over 3,068 gram panchayat seats in West Bengal while the BJP is ahead in 1,151 seats as of 12.30pm, State Election Commission officials said on Tuesday.

In various districts, TMC supporters celebrated their victory by dancing and smearing each other with green gulal.

The counting of votes for the three-tier panchayat polls to nearly 74,000 seats in West Bengal began on Tuesday morning amid tight security, officials said.

The Trinamool Congress reinforced its dominant position in rural West Bengal's local bodies, elections of which were hit by rampant violence leaving several dead. Mamata Banerjee's party bagged 9,270 seats in gram panchayats, while the BJP emerged as the main challenger in most districts, according to results available till 2 pm today.