CM to chair historic administrative meeting in Murshidabad on Sept 27

The historic administrative meeting headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Murshidabad on September 27, within four days after her party took over the zilla parishad, has gained political significance with high chances of more Congress leaders joining the party after her visit. 

Banerjee, who returned to the city after her four-day North Bengal tour on Saturday evening, will leave for Murshidabad on Monday evening and chair the administrative review meeting there. Despite winning only one Assembly seat in Murshidabad in 2011 election, Mamata Banerjee government had taken up several projects for an overall development of the district. Sources in Nabanna said that in the administrative review meeting, the Chief Minister is to take a stock on the progress of the ongoing projects and would also discuss certain issues including repairing of roads and irrigation facilities in the area. 

Senior administrative officials in the district had sent progress reports on various projects in Murshidabad to the state secretariat. It is learnt that the top brass of the state government has sought detailed reports on some of the projects and issues from the district officials. The latter are busy at present preparing the reports those have to be placed before the Chief Minister during the review meeting.

Banerjee’s visit is important as the party took control over four municipalities in Murshidabad along with the zilla parishad. Veteran Congress leader Manas Bhunia along with 51 party leaders including Mohammad Shorab and Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya, MLA from Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas joined Trinamool. So, virtually the entire Opposition has joined Trinamool and in addition to political schemes she will have to ensure that there is no infighting between the old and new party leaders and workers. 

Banerjee’s visit to Murshidabad has become a serious cause of concern for the Congress. The reason is being accorded to high chances of more Congress leaders joining Trinamool Congress after her visit. The Trinamool Congress is now in control of all the zilla parishads of West Bengal, having successfully carried out a no-confidence coup against the Congress in the Murshidabad zilla parishad on Friday.

The zilla parishad president (sabhadhipati) Shiladitya Halder of the Congress was voted out 43-0 in a no-confidence vote taken in the House of 70. Congress and Left Front members stayed away from the vote.

Murshidabad was the latest to fall to the Trinamool Congress, which wrested control of Uttar Dinajpur, Malda and Jalpaiguri zilla parishads over the past few months. Although the vote was taken on Friday (September 23), the Trinamool had already taken control of the Murshidabad zilla parishad on September 10 and of the Behrampore (district headquarters) municipality on September 18 owing to large-scale defections from the Congress.

Murshidabad was considered a stronghold of the Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Trinamool Congress said wresting it is a gift to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is scheduled to pay a visit to the district soon. 

Now, the Trinamool Congress will be gearing up for the forthcoming Panchayat election in 2018 and Lok Sabha polls in 2019. The party has four MLAs and two remaining municipalities, Kandi and Murshidabad that may come under the party’s fold very soon.