The Trinamul Congress has decided to cement its support base at municipal towns in north Bengal as the party lost to the BJP at the urban centres in the recent Assembly elections.

“Civic elections are ahead and we need to work in urban areas to develop our support base. We could win 23 (of 54) seats in north Bengal and simultaneously, lost most urban Assembly segments, including the district headquarters barring Jalpaiguri,” said a senior Trinamul leader in Siliguri.

In north Bengal, the BJP won 30 Assembly seats, including Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Siliguri, Darjeeling, Englishbazar, Balurghat and Raiganj.

Ever since the poll results were announced, Trinamul has taken up various activities. They include distribution of food grains to the poor, providing of support to Covid-19 patients and their families who are in isolation at homes and engagement of frontal organisations for pandemic awareness programmes.

In north Bengal, elections are due at around 20 civic bodies, which include the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and the Darjeeling municipality where Trinamul or the BJP has never been voted to power.

Like other parts of the state, the support base of both the Left and the Congress was obliterated in north Bengal in the Assembly elections. “Trinamul and the BJP are aware of this swing. When it comes to towns, the BJP is keen to retain the votes, while Trinamul is desperate to build up its support,” an observer said.