TMC retains power in West Bengal, AIADMK in TN, BJP wrests Assam from Congress, Kerala goes to LDF
AMN
The Assembly poll to five states is making history with BJP and its allies seems wrests power from congress in Assam, while AIADMK in Tamil Nadu is poised to get sixth term in the state. Trinamool Congress also poised to retain power in West Bengal while Congress is facing a reverse with the LDF ahead of them in Kerala. In Puducherry, a neck and neck race is on between AINRC and Congress-DMK allies.
BJP created history in Assam by ousting Congress which also lost Kerala to the Left front while incumbents AIADMK and Trinamool Congress retained power in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal for a second consecutive term.
The tiny Union Territory of Puducherry appears headed for a hung house with the ruling AINRC and Congress-DMK alliance locked in a close fight.
Assam voted for change with Congress, which had been in power for the last 15 years, being routed by the BJP-led alliance which is ahead in 80 out of 126 seats.
Marking a new surge, BJP, which had five seats in the last elections, was on its own leading in 56 seats now. Its allies AGP and Bodo People’s Front were ahead in 15 and 12 constituencies. The Congress, which had bagged 78 seats in the last elections, was struggling by leading only in 27 seats.
The prominent winners include BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal in Majuli in Assam, Puducherry Chief Minister N.Rangasamy from Indira Nagar constituency, West Bengal Urban Development Minister, TMC candidate Bobby Hakim, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, CPIM Veteran leader V.S.Achuthanandan, Pinarayi Vijayan and Ministers Ramesh Chennithala and V.S.Sivakumar. All other leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Jayalalitha, Tarun Gogoi are all leading.
Speaker N.Sankathan, Ministers K. Babu, Shibu Baby John, K.P.Mohanan and P.K.Jayalakshmi in Kerala have lost. AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal has also lost. Cricketer Sreesanth is trailing. Striking a formidable alliance with AGP, BPF and others, BJP and its allies bagged 16 seats out of 17 results for the 126 member Assembly in Assam declared so far.
AIUDF has won one seat. BJP is also leading in 40 seat and its allies AGP in 12 seats. The Congress is leading in 27. Talking to AIR, Sarbananda Sonowal has asserted that BJP and its alliance parties will work together for development of the state.
In Tamil Nadu, AIADMK leader Jayalalitha’s charisma was all along the way though the arch DMK seem to have managed a better show by winning more than 70 seats. The so called alternative front seems to have failed. The two Chief Ministerial candidates Mr.Vijaykant of DMDK and PMK’s youth wing leader Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss have been pushed to third place in their constituencies. AIADMK has won all the seven results declared so far. The party is leading in 136. DMK Congress combine is leading in 92.
In West Bengal, of the 50 results announced so far, Trinamool Congress has won 45, Congress-9, CPIM-3 and BJP-1. In Goghat of Hooghli district Manas Majumdar of TMC defeated his nearest Forward Bloc candidate by over 30,000 votes. TMC candidated Iqbal Hussain has bagged the Khanakul seat of the same district defeating his nearest CPIM rival by over 30000 votes.
In Asansol South seat, Trinamool Congress candidate Tapas Banerjee declared elected. In the Entally seat of Kolkata has also gone in favour of TMC. The party nominee Swarna Kamal Saha defeated his nearest CPI(M) rival by over 28000 votes.
The Shantipur seat of Nadia has gone in favour of Congress. The party candidate Arindum Bhattacharjee defeated his nearest Trinamool Congress rival Ajay Dev. In Tehatta seat of the same district TMC candidate Gauri Shankar Dutt has been declared elected. He defeated nearest Congress rival by over 16,000 votes. In Nandigram of East Mednapore district TMC Youth leader Shubhendu Adhikari has been declared elected defeating his nearest CPI rival by over a massive 70,000 votes.
In the prestigious Chaurangi constituency of Kolkata Trinamool Congress candidate Nayana Banerjee has retained her seat defeating her nearest rival Somen Mitra of Congress. In Bhawanipur Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has established a lead of over 11000 votes against her nearest rival Deepa Dasmunshi, Congress.
In Kerala, 67 results have been announced and LDF has bagged 49, UDF-17 and others-3 seats. BJP has opened accounts wih their Senior leader and former Union Minister O. Rajagopal winning Nemom seat. Out of 20 results announced in Puducherry, AINRC and Congress have won 8 seats each, AIADMK-3 and Independents-1.