Trinamool leads in Kolkata, other civic body polls

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress was on Tuesday far ahead of its rivals in the counting of votes cast in recent polls to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and 91 other civic bodies in the state.

In the 144-ward Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the Trinamool Congress seemed headed towards retaining the board, having established a lead in 85 wards. The Left Front was leading in 12, the BJP in nine and the Congress in seven.

Elsewhere in the state, the Trinamool had won or established a substantial lead in 51 civic bodies, the Congress in six and the Left Front in five. Six civic bodies produced hung results.

The Trinamool seemed to have swept away all opposition in the southern part of the state, where it was in the lead in all but some areas in Murshidabad and Purulia.

In north Bengal, however, the trends showed the opposition managed to put up a stiff fight in several areas.

But the opposition parties have raised a shrill pitch over their allegations that the Trinamool resorted to violence and terror tactics and adopted unfair means to win the civic polls.

The Left Front has called a general strike and the Bharatiya Janata Party a shutdown across the state on April 30.

Several trade unions - including those affiliated to the Left Front constituents and the Congress - have also given the call for a general strike.