By IANS,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Thursday said the Left defeat in West Bengal’s municipal elections was “a serious matter” but added the result only reflected urban sentiment.
“It will be fallacious to conclude that the results of these municipal elections are a reflection of the state’s electorate as a whole,” CPI-M’s organ People’s Democracy said in an editorial.
“Nevertheless, it is a reflection of urban Bengal,” it added. “To that extent, the Left Front is committed to undertake a serious introspection of these results.”
The editorial said that in Sunday’s elections to the 81 municipal bodies across West Bengal, the Left Front won in only 18.
The Trinamool Congress won 26 municipalities, the Congress seven and the anti-Left alliance four. Another 23 were hung while three had resulted in a tie.
“The Left Front has declared it shall make a proper assessment and review of these results to draw correct lessons for the future,” the editorial said.
It sought to play down the significance of the municipal battle, saying it was wrong to dub it a semi-final, ahead of next year’s assembly elections.
The editorial described as “patently undemocratic” and “completely irrational” the Trinamool demand for the dismissal of the state government and the holding of early elections.
“The total number of people eligible to vote in these municipal elections was 85,33,000 out of a total electorate of 5,24,32,000 — only 17 percent. This makes up for less than 40 seats in an assembly of 294.
“The rest of the 83 percent constitutes the rural Bengal electorate or more than 250 assembly seats, which has predominantly determined the character of the government in the state in the past,” it said.