BALURGHAT, Feb. 9 -- The TMC registered a thumping victory in the elections to the Kushkari Cooperative Agricultural Development Society under Banshihari block of South Dinajpur district, dealing a crushing blow to the combined Opposition of the BJP, Congress and the Left Front. Defying pre-poll expectations, the ruling party won all nine seats, handing the opposition alliance a clean sweep defeat with a 9-0 margin.
The outcome is being viewed as a major political boost for the TMC ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Sources said the BJP had identified the Kushkari cooperative as a crucial target, believing that control over the body could help exert political pressure in the Harirampur Assembly Constituency. With that aim, the BJP forged an unusual alliance with the Congress, supported by the Left Front-an experiment that drew attention due to sharp ideological differences.
The previous cooperative election was held in 2016, when the TMC had also won all nine seats.
Political observers feel the result carries a wider message for the district's political landscape.
Banshihari block TMC president Parthapratim Majumdar said: "An alliance formed by sacrificing ideology was rejected by the people."
BJP leader Phanibhushan Mahato alleged intimidation in past polls, while district Congress president Gopal Deb maintained that cooperative elections are decided by members, not parties.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.