A new spin

The latest issue of Kamal Sandesh, the fortnightly mouthpiece of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has an interesting spin on the party's performance in the West Bengal civic polls. The BJP was expected to consolidate the gains it made in Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections but was decimated by the ruling Trinamool Congress in the recently concluded municipal polls. A report in the mouthpiece said the BJP notched up more seats than last time in the 144-member Kolkata Municipal Corporation, winning seven seats - four more than what the party won in 2010. The party mouthpiece has also accused the Trinamool Congress of resorting to violence and electoral malpractices.