Oppn vote division in panchayat polls makes Trinamool confident for 2024 LS battle

Kolkata, July 13 The parallel division in the opposition votes in West Bengal has been a major factor behind Trinamool Congress' thumping victory in the just concluded panchayat polls and this has made the state's ruling party confident of the same trend to continue for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Elated by the trend, a senior member of the West Bengal cabinet, who did not wish to be named, admitted that there was an increase in the vote share percentage of Left Front, Congress and All India Secular Front (AISF) alliance as against decline in the vote share percentage of BJP in the rural civic polls.

"It is clear that the decline in the vote share percentage for BJP has gone in favour of the trio alliance, which in turn has benefitted us. Take my word this trend will continue in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as well, with the opposition parties becoming busy occupying the second slot, while we comfortably win the majority of the seats," he said.

According to senior Trinamool Congress leader and three- time Lok Sabha member, Saugata Roy, the impact of the panchayat elections is bound to have a positive effect for Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha polls which is less than a year from now.

"Even BJP has performed pathetically in its own stronghold pockets. The people of Bengal have rejected BJP," he said.

In fact the confidence was also evident from the body-language of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee immediately after the trend of results became clear on Wednesday evening as she gave a clear signal for not caring for any arrangement with any other party in West Bengal for the 2024 big battle.

She also gave a strong message to Congress without directly naming the latter.

"There is a discussion on an alliance at the national level. So everyone should think before what they say. If you abuse me here, I cannot worship you there. I will reciprocate if you also give me due respect," she said.

Despite winning the second highest number of seats in all the three- tiers of panchayat system, BJP's vote share in the rural civic body polls declined to 22 per cent from as high as 38 per cent in 2021.

On the other hand, despite being in the third position in terms of the number of seats won in the rural civic body polls, the silver lining for Congress- Left Front and All India Secular Front (AISF) is the significant improvement in the vote share percentage from what it was in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls. The vote share percentage of the trio this time has increased to more than double at 21 per cent from 10 per cent in 2021.