Trinamul Congress continued to maintain its stronghold in Mirik, the tiny hill sub-division of Darjeeling district, where the party managed to bag three of four seats of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the results of which were announced on Wednesday.

“Out of the 10 seats we had contested, our candidates won in five GTA seats. However, our performance is much better in Mirik sub-division and it indicates that Trinamul has consolidated its base in and around the hill town,” said L.B. Rai, the chairman of Trinamul’s Darjeeling (hills) district committee.

At the GTA polls, Trinamul’s Dhurba Bomzon has won from Seeyok-Gopaldhara-Oakaity constituency while Melish Rai and Paresh Tirkey two other candidates of the party, have won from Mirik-Thurbo-Duptin and Sukna-Panighata seats, both of which are in Mirik.

Mirik has been the first stepping stone for Trinamul in the hills as in 2017 the party had bagged the local civic body of the town — the first win for the party in any election of the hills. Trinamul had won six of nine wards in 2017.

“In past five years, the Trinamul-board of Mirik municipality has carried out a number of infrastructural works, which include improvement of roads into mastic asphalt roads, installation of street lights and beautification of Sumendu Lake, the key tourist attraction of the town. The residents here have witnessed development in the past five years and have thus supported us,” said Rai.