THE Left Front achieved a significant victory as it won Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad. Elections to the three-tier panchayat in Siliguri sub division in Darjeeling district were held on October 3. Elections in Siliguri were peaceful except for some sporadic incidents. People from the rural and semi-rural areas, and tea gardens have squarely defeated the TMC.

Left Front has won six seats out of nine at the council level (as a separate hill council exists in Darjeeling hill areas, the rest of the district falls within Mahakuma Parishad). At the block level panchayat samiti, the Left Front has won three, and in the rest, there was a hung result. Left Front won in Matigara, Kharibari and Naxalbari while in Fansideoa, there was a hung result. Out of the 22 village level panchayat bodies, Left Front won absolute majority in seven, has edge in another six, and the TMC could win only in four.

In April this year, Left Front won Siliguri Municipal Corporation and has formed the board. After the city, rural areas too reposed confidence in the red flag.

Elections to Asansol, Bidhannagar and Bali (as added area to Howrah Corporation) also took place on October 3. These elections were marred by unprecedented violence and unabated rigging. Opposition parties workers and voters were attacked, booths were captured. Even the journalists were badly beaten up. Strong reactions throughout the state and protest from opposition parties forced the state election commission to postpone the scheduled counting of votes in those three areas. Meanwhile, under pressure from the state administration, the state election commissioner resigned from his post, exposing the authoritarian nature of Mamata Banerjee rule.

In this background, the victory of Left Front in Siliguri has been hailed throughout the state. Hundreds of people came out onto the streets in Siliguri and expressed joy.