Resentment among workers, poll violence causes of West Bengal civic poll defeat: BJP leaders

In the just-concluded elections, the TMC clinched 134 wards

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R The West Bengal BJP unit on Sunday identified organisational lacunae, violence during the polls and resentment among a section of workers over ticket distribution as prime reasons behind the party's dismal performance in the Kolkata Municipal Polls. "During the review meeting, we identified a few reasons including rampant violence that was unleashed by the TMC, the role of the State Election Commission, which functioned as the branch office of the ruling party. We also identified weak organisation in Kolkata as another prime reason," a senior BJP office-bearer told news agency PTI. While elaborating on the reasons, he said "resentment" among a section of party workers over ticket distribution also led to its poor performance in the polls.

In the just-concluded elections, the TMC clinched 134 wards, the BJP just three and the Congress and the CPI(M) two each. Three seats were bagged by Independent candidates. BJP vice-president Dilip Ghosh on Saturday asserted that his party's Kolkata civic poll debacle will not be repeated in the upcoming elections to 111 other municipal bodies as the saffron camp, with all its might, will "counter attempts of rigging" by members of the ruling TMC. He stressed that the BJP has strong foundation in several districts of the state, where it was sure to perform better, unlike what it did in Kolkata. "KMC elections, swept by the TMC, were marked by large-scale rigging. The TMC cannot repeat the experiment in municipal polls to be held in the districts as the BJP has a stronger base in many places. The outcome in the districts will be different," he claimed.