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CPI-M retains Salt Lake municipality

Rifat Jawaid in Calcutta

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has retained Salt Lake municipality and is maintaining a lead in polls to the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.

Of 23 seats in Salt Lake, the CPI-M won 12, while the Trinamul Congress bagged 11. The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Trinamul's ally in West Bengal, drew a blank.

In Calcutta, of five seats declared, the CPI-M has won four, while a BJP candidate has emerged victorious in one.

Reacting to the results in Salt Lake, BJP state unit vice-president Muzaffar Khan told rediff.com that the saffron brigade's defeat was primarily due to friendly contests with the Trinamul in 15 places. Unable to reach an electoral understanding, both parties were forced to fight each other in more than half the seats in Salt Lake.

CPI-M West Bengal secretary Anil Biswas appeared ecstatic with the party's victory in Salt Lake. He, however, said that his party was closely monitoring the outcome of the civic elections in Calcutta.

"Though we have won four seats, trends indicate that the CPI-M and Trinamul are placed neck to neck," Biswas told rediff.com.

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