West Bengal panchayat elections 2018: Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool bags record 34% - before poll!

West Bengal panchayat elections 2018: The 3-tier Panchayat polls in West Bengal are witnessing an interesting political twist, as the ruling Trinamool Congress has got a walk over in as many as 20,076 seats of the total 58,692, where the state will witness casting of votes on May 14. These facts have come to fore after the State Election Commission (SEC) released the list after the last day for withdrawal of candidature on April 28. Most of these seats are situated in the districts of Birbhum, Bankura, Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas. 
 
According to the data made available by the SEC, in terms of percentage, TMC has won uncontested in 34% seats, which is also a record in the state's history of Panchayat elections. Earlier in the year 2003, the ruling CPI(M) had won in 11 per cent seats across the state.
 
The State Election Commission (SEC) has stated that out of the 48,650 Gram Panchayat seats, the ruling Trinamool has won in 16,814. In the total 9,217 Panchayat Samity seats, TMC won 3,059 uncontested, and of the 825 Zilla Parishad seats, the party has so far won in 203 seats. April 28 was the last date for withdrawal of nominations, but returning officers have reportedly declared TMC candidates as winners on these seats, and the party workers as well as supporters have already begun celebrations. 
 
According to the SEC data, of the total 825 Zilla Parishad seats, TMC has withdrawn 134, BJP 153, CPI(M) 79, and Congress 54; while others and independents withdrew 491 nominations.
 
Of the Panchayat Samity seats, TMC withdrew 2407, BJP 931, CPI(M) 558, Congress 301, while the numbers of others and independents stand at 4679.
 
Of Gram Panchayat seats, TMC withdrew 7033, BJP 4490, CPI(M) 2490, Congress 1383, while others and independents combine withdrawn 18,449 nominations.
 
A senior Trinamool leader reportedly said, "There are many aspirants for party tickets. So many people have filed nominations. The TMC's symbol will be allotted to only those who have been asked by the party to contest."  Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty, however, alleged that the TMC had turned the polls into a "farce". 

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Political observers are reportedly surprised to see the rise of BJP, outnumbering the Congress and the CPI(M) to emerge as the second largest party after the TMC in the number of nominations filed for the upcoming panchayat polls.
 
CPI(M) MP Mohammed Salim said the number of party candidates should not be measured only in terms of nominations filed, as party is fighting as a Left Front constituent and in several seats it has extended support to secular and democratic independent candidates. But, several top CPI(M) leaders agreed that the party needs to stop living in denial by coming up with "lame excuses of tacit understanding between the BJP and the TMC". 
 
"We have lost our mass base, our vote share has decreased. But instead of fixing it up, we are blaming others. We should learn lessons before its too late. Time is running out," a senior CPI(M) leader told PTI.
 
(With PTI inputs)