TMC confident of retaining power in South Dinajpur Zilla Parishad

BALURGHAT: Ahead of the rural polls slated for the region on May 5 along with five North Bengal districts, the ruling Trinamool Congress is visibly looking confident to retain the South Dinajpur Zilla Parishad for the second time.

In 2013, Trinamool had won 13 seats out of 17 and formed SDZP by snatching power from the Left Front for the first time.

District Trinamool president Biplab Mitra on Wednesday conducted a party core committee meeting with senior leaders including Balurghat MP Arpita Ghosh, Minister of State for North Bengal Development Bachchu Hansda and chairman of Mackintosh Burn Ltd and former PWD minister Shankar Chakraborty. A complete blueprint of organising the entire voting process, according to Mitra, was finalised.

Mitra has instructed the frontal leaders for door-to-door campaigns, focusing on various development projects undertaken by the present board for rural and remote areas of the district. "The party has strong ground here in the district, covering all eight blocks. We are confident enough to retain the Zilla Parishad again. When we came to rule SDZP, there was corruption everywhere and misappropriation of funds during the misrule of Left Front. It was our stress to run the board systematically," Mitra said.

There has been uniformity while distributing tickets for Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samities and Zilla Parishad levels. The workers close to the people will secure ticket this time, Mitra stressed.

According to the political observers in the region, Trinamool itself is the only alternative of Trinamool in both urban and rural Bengal. South Dinajpur is not an exception.

"The Mamata Banerjee government has undertaken many development projects that the rural people already know. There has been successful implementation of projects like Kanyashree, Shikshashree, Sabuj Sathi, 100 days' work, Mission Nirmal Bangla and many more. The rural beneficiaries are now receiving direct financial aid, which is unique," said a political observer.