BJP takes over Bhatpara, Saurav Singh named new chairman

Kolkata: BJP has captured the Bhatpara Municipality in North 24-Parganas, as the majority of the councillors elected Saurav Singh as the new chairman of the municipality. Saurav is the nephew of BJP MP Arjun Singh and he had recently switched over to the saffron party.

As many as 26 councillors of Bhatpara Municipality out of a total of 34 voted in favour of Saurav, who has been nominated for the post of chairman by the saffron brigade. This is for the first time in Bengal that BJP has gained administrative power in a civic body. Saurav has replaced Somnath Talukdar, who had been the acting chairman of the municipality for quite some time.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress district president and state Food and Supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick has taken a dig at BJP for capturing the municipality, by saying that "Bhatpara Municipality may face a fate similar to that of Monirul Islam."

It may be mentioned that Islam, once a controversial Trinamool Congress leader from Birbhum, had recently joined BJP. Since he joined the saffron brigade, many BJP leaders from the district have vented their anger over the party's decision.

Following a vehement opposition from the BJP district leaders, Islam has recently expressed his desire to submit his resignation. BJP leadership is yet to come up with a decision on whether Islam will stay in the party or not.

Mallick also said that Trinamool Congress councillors from the Bhatpara Municipality were forced to join BJP at gunpoint and a civic body cannot be run in this manner for a long time.

It may also be mentioned that a no-confidence was passed against Arjun Singh in April through a secret ballot, where he lost 22-11 soon after he joined the saffron party.