Kolkata civic polls: Counting of votes begins, result to be declared today

Counting of votes for Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections has begun as the results are to be declared on Tuesday.

Netaji Indoor Stadium has been made the counting centre where the exercise is being carried out amid tight security.

Elections for all 144 wards of KMC took place at 4,959 polling booths on Sunday.

Both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its biggest opponent BJP fielded their candidates in all 144 seats. When BJP this time mainly focussed on youth candidates, lawyers and professors, TMC picked up relatives of ministers.

All the attention this time has been drawn by TMC candidate from ward number 73, Bhowanipore Kajari Banerjee, the sister-in-law of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Left and Congress who had fought the Assembly polls jointly decided to contest the KMC polls independently.

Importantly none of the parties be it TMC, BJP or Congress, has announced the face for the post of Mayor.

Meanwhile, terming the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) polls a 'farce', West Bengal BJP on Sunday wrote to State Election Commission and alleged that the police in the city were not capable to conduct 'peaceful' elections.

The BJP also said that Meena Devi Purohit who is a 5-term counsellor, contesting for her sixth term, was physically attacked.

In the 2015 KMC polls, TMC won 114 wards while the Left bagged 15. BJP managed to win six wards, Congress five and others got three. However, many opposition councilors joined the ruling camp later.

( With inputs from ANI )

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