AGARTALA, July 19 � As expected, the ruling CPM has secured yet another spectacular victory in Tripura�s three-tier Panchayat elections after opposition parties � Congress, BJP and Trinamool Congress failed to put up a decent show.
This was the ruling party�s third consecutive victory after winning Assembly and Lok Sabha elections with huge margins.
According to reports available with the State Election Commission, of the total 591 Gram Panchayats, the ruling CPM has won 563 alone while the main opposition Congress bagged only 18, which is less than that of last election. In the last Panchayat elections, the Congress had secured 92 GPs of the total 511.
BJP and Trnamool Congress have made debut in the Panchayat level after capturing five and two Gram Panchayats respectively. The ruling party�s winning spree continued in the Panchayat Samity and Zilla Parisad elections too.
All the eight Zilla Parisads and 35 Panchayat Samitis went to the ruling party�s kitty while opposition Congress could not make any impact, according to sources in the State Election Commission. According to political analysts, there was anti-incumbency wind blowing at the grassroot level but the opposition Congress could not capitalise it due to weak organisational set up.
In fact, PCC leaders including party president DC Hrangkhawl and opposition leader Sudip Roy Barman did not campaign for the Panchayat elections virtually demoralising party�s grassroot level workers and supporters.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had campaigned for the party candidates across the State and it worked like a miracle as the Congress�s seat share has been reduced to 16 from 92.
CPM secretary Bijan Dhar thanked the voters for reposing faith in the Left Front. �This is indeed a spectacular electoral outcome in favour of the Left parties. We will continue to do good work for the people living in gram panchayats�, he added.
