TMC moves no-confidence motion in Bhatpara

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress councillors moved a no-confidence motion against the BJP-controlled Bhatpara Municipality on Friday.

Jyotipriya Mallick, state Food minister and the party's North 24-Parganas district president, said that the councillors moved the no-confidence motion against the civic board to the district magistrate, sub-divisional officer and the special officer.

The 34-member civic body went under BJP's control following the results of the Lok Sabha election, which were declared in May. Of the 26 councillors who had joined BJP subsequently, 12 have rejoined Trinamool Congress nearly a month ago.

It may be mentioned that Trinamool Congress has already reestablished its control over the Naihati, Garulia, Kanchrapara, Halisahar, Bongaon and Haringhata civic bodies.

Mallick said 24 Trinamool members of Kakgachi Gram Panchayat under Barrackpore sub-division who had joined BJP, have returned to Trinamool Congress. Earlier, 21 of them had rejoined the party while the remaining three joined the party on Friday afternoon.

The return of Trinamool councillors back to their original fold comes as a heavy blow to the BJP MP from Barrackpore Arjun Singh, as it shows that he is fast becoming unpopular in the area.

Not too long ago, Singh had said that nobody would go back to Trinamool as they were fed up with the highhandedness of the party leaders. But proving him wrong, the councillors have extended their confidence in Mamata Banerjee once again and assured to work to take her projects forward.