TMC topples Left Front in KMC Cooperative Society polls, sweeps all 23 seats

In a historic political shift, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has taken complete control of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Cooperative Society, winning all 23 seats in the recently concluded election. The Left, which had traditionally held sway over the 120-year-old organization, failed to win a single seat.

The election marks a first-ever clean sweep for the TMC in this influential municipal cooperative body. The ruling party had already secured 11 of the 23 seats uncontested before polling day. On Saturday, voting took place for the remaining 12 seats, and the results confirmed a resounding victory for the Trinamool across the board.

TMC leader and senior MLA Shobhandev Chatterjee credited the party’s success to the people’s growing confidence in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “This victory proves the trust people have in Didi. For the first time, our candidates have taken over all seats in the society,” he said after the results were announced.

However, the defeated Left Front has raised serious allegations of electoral malpractice. According to them, the election process was deeply flawed and rigged in favor of the ruling party. They questioned the decision to hold the voting away from the municipal premises and criticized the timing of the poll, which took place on a public holiday.

On polling day, Left-backed candidates reported that their agents were blocked from voting in several booths. They alleged that intimidation tactics were used and that many of their voters were prevented from exercising their franchise. Trinamool Congress leaders have categorically denied these allegations, terming them as excuses for the Left’s poor performance.

This result is a symbolic and political blow to the Left, which had been the traditional custodian of the KMC Cooperative Society since its inception in 1904. The complete takeover by the TMC is being viewed as yet another sign of the party’s growing dominance across all civic and political institutions in Kolkata.