There were no surprising results of the panchayat polls on Thursday – the ruling Trinamool Congress won most seats or were leading in those that were yet to be declared. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the primary opposition. This was not unexpected, but is significant ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2019.
The ruling Trinamool Congress had already bagged 34 per cent seats uncontested even before the election day, May 14. On Thursday, May 17, as the votes were counted, Trinamool Congress won over 80 per cent seats. Though the BJP lagged far behind, the party has made major gains since the 2016 Assembly elections and kept the CPM behind in the race. The Congress continued with its poor performance.
Although, the ruling party claimed not to be worried about the BJP’s growth, the panchayat results could well hurt them in the Lok Sabha elections.
