Trinamool faces rout in WB

The state's ruling Left parties, leading in 33 seats, were set to increase their 1999 tally at the expense of the Trinamool and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

West Bengal's main opposition Trinamool Congress was on Thursday faced with the spectre of a complete rout in the elections to the state's 42 parliamentary seats.

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The state's ruling leftists, leading in 33 seats, were set to increase their 1999 tally at the expense of the Trinamool and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee was the only party candidate who looked in a winning position as she led with 70,000 votes over her nearest Marxist rival Rabin Deb in the Kolkata South constituency.

Trinamool had won eight seats in the 1999 parliamentary polls, the Congress three, the leftists 29 and the BJP two.

Trinamool had put up candidates in 28 constituencies, leaving the rest to its ally BJP.

The BJP has two MPs, but looked like losing both seats this time as its candidates were trailing.

For the Trinamool, the worst surprise came in the Kolkata seats where its candidates were trailing. The party had won all four Kolkata seats in 1999.

The Congress was leading in five seats, holding out the promise of winning two more over 1999.

Congress stalwarts Pranab Mukherjee, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi and ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury were ahead of their rivals.