Bengal panchayat polls: C-Voter exit poll indicates tough contest for Trinamool in many districts

Kolkata: Despite maintaining an overall numerical supremacy in the polls for the three- tier panchayat system in West Bengal, the ABP- CVoter exit poll for the rural civic body polls has indicated a tough contest for the ruling Trinamool Congress in a number of districts.

The exit poll has indicated that Trinamool Congress might lose its control over the zilla parishad, the highest tier in the three- tier panchayat system, in Cooch Behar district and BJP might take control over the zilla parishad there.

As per the exit polls, while BJP might win in 18 to 22 zilla parishad seats this time in Cooch Behar, Trinamool Congress might end up with 11 to 17 seats. The Left Front- Congress alliance in the district might end up between zero and one seat.

Similarly, as per the exit polls, BJP might gain control over the zilla parishad in another north Bengal district of Alipurduar. As per the exit polls, while BJP might win in 10 to 14 zilla parishad seats this time in Alipurduar, Trinamool Congress might end up with four to eight seats. The Left Front- Congress alliance in the district might end up between zero and one seat.

Murshidabad, which witnessed the maximum number of deaths in the poll- related violence, is yet another district where Trinamool Congress might be heading for a tough contest despite maintaining overall numerical supremacy. In this district, as per the exit polls predictions, the ruling party will face the challenge more from the Left Front- Congress alliance rather than from BJP. In Murshidabad, as per the exit polls, while Trinamool Congress might end up winning 39 to 49 zilla parishad seats, Left Front- Congress might bag a number between 26 and 36, while BJP might end up between zero and four.

Similarly, in East Midnapore district, which is the home district for the leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, BJP is expected to give a tough battle to the ruling Trinamool Congress. As per the exit polls, in East Midnapore, while Trinamool Congress might end up between 35 and 45 seats, BJP might gain control over 26 and 32 seats, while the Left Front- Congress alliance might end up between zero and two seats.

Analysts feel that in panchayat polls generally the ruling party in the state maintains its overall numerical supremacy. However, the panchayat polls do give some indications about the voters; mindset for the forthcoming big battles be it Lok Sabha or Assembly polls.