Mamata ends 34-year Left rule in Bengal, Jaya trumps DMK in TN

Press Trust of India / Kolkata/Chennai May 13, 2011, 21:37

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Mamata Banerjee stormed the Red bastion terminating the Left Front's 34-year stranglehold on West Bengal, while Jayalalithaa knocked DMK out of power in Tamil Nadu with a landslide victory in the assembly elections whose results were out today.

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Congress added to Left's drubbing by snatching power in Kerala by a slender margin while it scored a spectacular hattrick in Assam bagging a near two-third majority to retain power.

However, the party tasted defeat in Puducherry at the hands of a rebel who had left the party only a few months ago and tied up with AIADMK to secure two-thirds majority in the 30-member assembly.

Riding a wave of change in a state where Left ideology ruled the roost for over three decades, Banerjee along with allies Congress and SUCI gave a severe drubbing to the Left Front.

The Banerjee-led alliance captured three-fourth majority by winning 227 seats in the 294-seat assembly. Banerjee, Railway Minister at the Centre, did not contest the elections.

Trinamool Congress won 184 seats, while Congress bagged 42. The other ally SUCI got one.

On the rival side, the CPI(M), which headed the Left Front, has won 40 seats.

The CPI(M) suffered humiliation when a number of its bigwigs, including Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, bit the dust. Shortly after defeat, Bhattacharjee resigned.

With defeats in West Bengal and Kerala, the Left will have power only in Tripura.

Tamil Nadu lived up to its 'winner takes all' reputation as Jayalalithaa swept back to power with a landslide victory with her alliance set to cross the 200 mark in the 234-member assembly.

Riding the plank of DMK's alleged corruption in the form of 2G spectrum scam and perceived resentment over the 'family rule' of Chief Minister Karunanidhi, AIADMK on its own is set to get 151 seats.

The party has won 141 seats and was leading in another 10 seats. The DMK has won 18 seats and was ahead in four, while ally Congress which contested 63 seats could manage only five wins.

State Congress President KV Thangkabalu, who made a dramatic entry into the contest after the alleged bungling over his wife's candidature, lost the Mylapore seat by nearly 30,000 votes.