The ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) registered a resounding victory in the Contai Cooperative Bank elections held on Sunday, winning 101 out of the 108 seats. The BJP secured six seats, while an Independent candidate clinched one.

This election, the first cooperative poll in the state to witness Central forces’ deployment under Supreme Court orders, saw sporadic clashes between TMC and BJP workers. Despite the incidents, the voting process, which began at 9 a.m., witnessed participation from over 80,000 registered voters out of 430 candidates in contention.

Advertisement

Political analysts view the BJP’s loss as a critical blow, particularly in East Midnapore, where the party controls seven of the 16 Assembly constituencies, including Contai North, Contai South, and the Contai Lok Sabha seat.

Reacting to the defeat, BJP South Contai MLA and district organization committee president Arup Kumar Das alleged that the election was marred by widespread malpractice. “There was no real election. While Central forces were present in only five booths, the Trinamul Congress prevented voters from casting their ballots in the remaining booths. The election turned into a farce, marked by widespread intimidation and vote rigging,” Das claimed.

TMC leaders celebrated their landslide victory, interpreting it as a rejection of the BJP and its leadership in the region. Akhil Giri, TMC MLA from Ramnagar, stated, “This victory proves that Contai is no longer a stronghold of the Adhikari family. People are frustrated with the BJP, and they have rejected them outright. They lost the bypolls, and now they have lost this election. The BJP will be nowhere in the 2026 Assembly polls.”

The elections, held under stringent security arrangements, marked a historic moment for West Bengal’s cooperative polls. Central forces were deployed in select booths to ensure a free and fair process, a directive from the Supreme Court. However, reports of clashes and allegations of voter intimidation highlighted the persistent tensions between the two major political parties in the state.

The TMC’s triumph underscores its dominance in West Bengal’s political landscape, while the BJP faces challenges in consolidating its foothold in the region ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.