The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress looks set to register an emphatic win in the West Bengal rural polls. With the counting of votes still underway, the trends and results available so far show the ruling TMC in a commanding position in the polls held recently.

The Opposition, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, however, has been quick to dismiss it as “not a true reflection of the ground reality”. The Opposition in Bengal has been united in condemning the law and order situation in the state since the elections were announced. The BJP claimed that 45 people died in the interim, and accused the Trinamool Congress of indulging in violence to trample the people’s mandate.

Also Read: Bengal Panchayat Election Results 2023 Live

Yet, the numbers so far tell a different story. For starters, a far greater percentage of seats were contested in the elections this time as compared to the previous polls. While over 35 per cent of seats went uncontested the last time, there were only 10 per cent of seats where the Opposition did not field any candidates. The last election saw Mamata’s Trinamool bag around 80 per cent of the gram panchayat seats.

As of 2 PM, the Trinamool Congress had won over 40,000 of the 63,229 gram panchayat seats and was leading in another 1,300 seats. The BJP was far behind with wins in over 8,500 seats and leads in 330 seats, the CPM was on third spot with wins in 1,424 seats and leads in 972 seats while the Congress was on fourth spot with wins in 1,073 seats and leads in 791 seats. The results to the zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls also appear to be heading down the same line.

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The victory in these elections is significant for Mamata in many ways. The first is that it proves Mamata’s dominance in the state and energises the party cadre to take on the BJP more aggressively in the Lok Sabha elections. The results also cement her hold on rural Bengal and solidify her importance in the state a year ahead of the general elections.

For the BJP, the message is loud and clear – Mamata’s presence is not to be taken lightly. She remains unshakeable and the BJP’s hopes of a repeat of its 2019 performance, where it won a sizable 18 Lok Sabha seats and limited TMC to 20 seats, down from its tally of 34, are easier said than done.

The bigger message, however, is for the Opposition which is toying with the idea of putting up a united front against the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year. The victory in Bengal gives Mamata significant heft at the Opposition table where the Congress has played ‘big brother’ so far. Nitish Kumar, who is believed to have long harboured prime ministerial ambitions, has been the second most visible face in the Opposition gathering.

The Bengal result may change all that, and more. Propped up by Congress as a consensus candidate should a situation arise, Nitish Kumar, ridden with his own problems back home, may no longer remain the most prominent non-Congress face in the united Opposition camp. The victory in rural Bengal has added weight to Mamata’s claim for a bigger chair on the Opposition table.

The bigger worry for the Congress is about Trinamool getting a free run as far as the selection of ‘joint’ Opposition candidates in West Bengal is concerned. Staring at a real possibility of being relegated to the sidelines in a united camp, the Congress is staring at a bigger threat to the idea of a united Opposition in itself.

West Bengal has a sizable chunk of 40 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats and as per some estimates, the rural polls results give Mamata a commanding position in almost 38 seats in the state. With Mamata already adamant about regional players getting a greater pie in their strongholds, Congress is sure to find Mamata a tough nut to crack on the negotiating table.