TMC set to take over 13 of 17 zilla parishads

Counting of ballots for zilla parishad seats in three-tired panchayt system completed this morning

In line with its success at gram (village) panchayats, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is now all set take control of 13 of the 17 zilla (district) parishads on its own wiping out the opposition Left from most part of the rural Bengal.

The counting of ballots for zilla parishad seats in the three-tired panchayat system, which got completed this morning, shows TMC, own its own, can take control 10 of the 11 districts in South Bengal and in Cooch Bihar and Dakshin Dinajpur in North Bengal.

CPI(M)-led Left Front and Congress on their own, however, could grab one zilla parishad each -- Jalpaigudi and Murshidabad respectively. No party was in position take control of the rest of the two traditionally Congress-dominated districts of Malda and Uttar Dinajpur.

It is a tie between Left and Congress in Malda with each grabbing 16 zilla parishad seats. TMC has manged to win rest of the  six zilla parishad seats in Malda, which accounts for total of 38 seats.

In Uttar Dinajpur, which has a total of 27 zilla parishad seats, Left, however, has an edge with 13 seats in its kitty. Congress and TMC have got eight and five seats respectively in the district.

Out of total 3215 gram(village) panchayats, TMC has grabbed 1783, while Left and Congress have manged to take control of 208 and 234 gram panchayts respectively.

TMC took a lead in pancahayt samiti as well, winning 214 of total 329. Left and Congress have won 67 and 19 panchayt samitis respectively.