KOLKATA: Riding the winds of political change, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress today won the 141-ward city municipal corporation polls, inflicting a crushing blow to the ruling Left Front in the civic elections, dubbed as a semi-final before next year’s Assembly polls.
The Trinamool Congress, which had already won two-thirds majority in the 141-member KMC, will not need the support of the Congress to rule Kolkata.
The Left Front which was in power in KMC with 75 wards has managed to win in only 29 wards.
In the 2005 KMC polls, Left parties had won 75 seats, TC 42, Congress 21 and BJP three.
Congratulating Banerjee on her party’s performance, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also the West Bengal Congress chief, said he accepted the people’s verdict.
Mukherjee, speaking to reporters in New Delhi, said till the final results were out, it would be difficult for him to assess the "net loss or net gain" of the Congress, but said his party had lost some and gained some municipalities out of the 14 it held earlier.
"First of all, I would like to congratulate Mamata Banerjee for her excellent performance both in Kolkata and also in the districts. I accept the failure of the Congress to perform up to the expectations which we had. I accept the verdict of the people with all humility," Mukherjee said. (PTI)
