Bengal rural polls litmus test for TMC ahead of 2024 LS elections

Press Trust of India

Kolkata

The Trinamool Congress will fight the panchayat polls in West Bengal amidst a barrage of corruption allegations, in what is being seen as a pre-match test for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The TMC leadership believes that the dynamics of Lok Sabha and village council elections may differ, but winning the rural heartland of Bengal is “crucial” for securing maximum parliamentary seats and exerting influence in national politics next year.

The state's three-tier panchayat elections are scheduled to take place on July 8, encompassing a significant electorate of approximately 5.67 crores, who will exercise their franchise to choose representatives for nearly 74,000 seats in Zilla Parishads, Panchayat Samitis and Gram Panchayats.

"Given the enormity of the panchayat elections, it is not just going to be a test of the mass support in the backdrop of canards against us but also a bellwether for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Bengal," senior TMC leader and MP Sougata Roy told PTI.

With most of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state having rural and semirural areas administered by panchayats, gaining the upper hand over their rivals in the parliamentary elections next year hinges upon the success of political parties in capturing and exerting influence in these rural areas.

"Our party is going through a crucial phase. Since the rural polls are fought on party symbols, the respective parties' influence and weakness can be gauged," he said.