Kolkata: The ruling Trinamool Congress is surging ahead by a massive lead in the civic polls of the state of West Bengal, by leading in 80 seats of the 144-member Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and 67 of the 91 municipalities of the state.
The Left Front is leading in 13 seats and the Congress and the BJP were leading in seven seats each of the KMC, according to trends available so far. Kolkata's Mayor and TMC’s candidate from ward no: 131, Shovan Chattopadhyay, is leading over his nearest CPI (M) rival by a massive lead.
Contrary to KMC, trends available for Siliguri Municipal Corporation showed the CPI (M)-led Left Front marching ahead by taking a lead in maximum number of seats.
For Trinamool Congress it is a fight to prove whether it can still retain its popularity with urban voters, while for the CPI-M led Left Front it is an opportunity to prove their political existence.
For the BJP aspiring to become a major force in the state after the Lok-Sabha election, the civic poll would be a test of its popularity graph while the Congress, which has witnessed desertion is trying hard to retain some power in some pockets.
Election to the KMC and the Municipal polls in 91 municipalities in West Bengal is being billed as the "semifinal" before the Assembly poll scheduled for the next year.
The counting of votes for the KMC elections held on April 18, and the municipal polls held in 91 municipalities began at 8 am.
