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Journalism of Courage
In a jolt to the CPI(M)-led Left Front, Trinamool Congress defeated its candidates in trouble-torn Nandigram in the three-tier panchayat elections in West Bengal.
The Front also faced rout in three zilla parishad seats in Singur to Trinamool Congress candidates.
The polls are seen as a litmus test for the Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee government’s farmland acquisition policy for industries.
Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress wrested control of zilla parishad in East Midnapur where trouble-torn Nandigram is located. It won 32 of the 53 seats, results of which were declared so far.
It is the first time that Trinamool Congress gained control over a zilla parishad, the main decision-making body in the district. In the last poll in 2003, the Trinamool had two seats in the zilla parishad.
Never before has the industry been a major plank in the panchayat polls, particular in Nandigram and Singur. The Left Front was, however, was maintaining a lead in other districts and having a neck-and-neck contest in zilla parishad seats in Congress strongholds of Murshidabad and Malda.
Polls were held to the three-tier panchayat system in three phases on May 11,14 and 18.
