4 councillors return to Trinamool at Bongaon

Kolkata: Four councillors of Trinamool Congress from Bongaon Municipality returned back to the party on Thursday. The councillors alleged that they had been forced to join BJP following pressure from Arjun Singh, BJP MP from Barrackpore.

The councillors rejoined Trinamool Congress in presence of Firhad Hakim, state Urban Development and Land Reforms minister at Nagarayan Bhavan. Jyotipriyo Mallick, state Food minister and president of Trinamool Congress' North 24-Parganas unit, was present as well.

After the results of the general election got announced, 14 councillors of Trinamool Congress had joined the BJP. The BJP wanted to take over the municipality which Trinamool resisted and the former then went and filed a petition before the High Court, a matter which has been lying pending.

Now, after rejoining of four Trinamool councillors, the party has 14 councillors while BJP has seven. Thus, Trinamool has re-established its control over the municipality.

The councillors alleged that they had been made to join BJP at gunpoint by the followers of Arjun Singh. It may be mentioned that five councillors of Gangarampur municipality, who had joined the saffron party, have also rejoined Trinamool and the party has taken over control of the municipality.

Commenting on the rejoining of the party councillors, Hakim said: "They had been forced to join BJP. But they soon realised that they will not survive in such a claustrophobic environment and they have come back to the Trinamool fold. After the results of Lok Sabha elections were out, BJP had misled these councillors. I welcome them back to the party fold."

Meanwhile, 26 top ranking leaders of Uluberia in Howrah, along with leaders of other parties, have joined Trinamool Congress.

Nirmal Maji, minister of state for Labour department, handed over the Trinamool Congress flag to the members of 1,200 families at a function at Karatberia recently.

On Saturday, 26 BJP workers under the leadership of Abhijit Adhikari, joined Trinamool Congress. The BJP workers hail

from Baniban, Joargari, Tehatta Kantaberia, Tulsiberia and Basudebpur areas.

In addition to the joining of BJP workers, 18 CPI(M) and 14 Forward Bloc workers have also joined Trinamool Congress. Maji handed over the party flag to the newcomers.

He said: "BJP is trying to divide people of the area on the basis of religion and is trying to incite one group against the other. But the people of Uluberia will foil this heinous conspiracy of BJP."