Kolkata, May 21 : The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday delivered a severe blow to the ruling CPM-led Left Front in West Bengal by winning the trouble-torn Nandigram in the three-tier panchayat elections in the state.

The Front also faced a rout in three zilla parishad seats in Singur to Trinamool Congress candidates.

The polls are seen as a litmus test for the Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee Government’s farmland acquisition policy for industries.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress wrested control of the zilla parishad in East Midnapur where trouble-torn Nandigram is located. It won 32 of the 53 seats, results of which were declared so far.

It is the first time that the Trinamool Congress has gained control over a zilla parishad, the main decision-making body in the district. In the last poll in 2003, the Trinamool had two seats in the zilla parishad.

The Left Front was, however, maintaining a lead in other districts and having a neck-and-neck contest in zilla parishad seats in Congress strongholds of Murshidabad and Malda.

Polls were held to the three-tier panchayat system in three phases on May 11, 14 and 18. (ANI)