M A I N   N E W S

Mamata resigns

Kolkata, May 13
Handing out a humiliating defeat to Trinamool Congress-Congress alliance, the CPM-led Left Front tonight swept back to power in West Bengal for a record sixth time securing two-third majority, picking up 199 seats in the 294-member state Assembly.

The Left Front narrowly missed the 203 seat mark it had secured in the last Assembly poll in 1996.

The ruling front stomped through Trinamool stronghold in the metropolis, wresting four seats from the party. The Marxists annexed Entally, Vidyasagar, Jorabagan and Shyampukur from the TC.

The front, however, suffered an upset in Dhakuria seat where RSP leader and Public Works Minister Kshiti Goswami lost to Saugata Roy of the TC.

The lack of understanding between the TC and Congress in two districts, Murshidabad and Malda, cost the alliance dearly as it lost at four places — Suti, Jangipur, Sagardidhi and Bharatpur in Murshidabad.

In Englishbazar, where the TC-Congress alliance foundered because of their friendly contest, the CPM walked away with the seat. The Marxists also captured the Ratua seat in the same district.

All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) Chairperson Mamata Banerjee today stepped down from the party post, owning moral responsibility for the Bangla Bachao Front’s defeat in the elections.

The BJP which fielded 266 candidates, has so far drawn a blank.

Among prominent LF winners were Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, and his ministerial colleagues Ashoke Bhattacharya, Subhas Chakraborty, Manab Mukherjee, Kalimuddin Shams, Srikumar Mukherjee, Naren De, besides Deputy Speaker of the state assembly Anil Mukherjee. Health Minister Partha De, however, lost from Bankura.

Important TC and Congress leaders who romped home were city Mayor Subrata Mukherjee, film actor Tapas Pal and Nayna Bandopadhyay, wife of TC Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay, CLP leader Atish Sinha and former WBPCC President Somen Mitra.

TC candidate and actress Madhavi Mukherjee lost to the Chief Minister. PTI