After weeks of disruption, Old Malda and Dalkhola municipalities get new chairmen

Malda/Raiganj: The leadership vacuum in two municipalities of North Bengal ended on Wednesday with the election of new chairmen at Old Malda and Dalkhola, restoring administrative stability after weeks of disruption to civic services.

In Old Malda Municipality, the election for the chairman’s post was completed smoothly. Senior TMC leader and councillor from Ward No. 12, Bibhuti Bhushan Ghosh, was unanimously elected as the new chairman. The vice-chairman’s post remained unchanged, with Ward No. 20 councillor Safikul Islam continuing in the role.

The sub-divisional officer administered the oath of office to the new chairman, following which TMC councillors felicitated Ghosh.

Speaking to the media, Ghosh said: “I had served as chairman on three previous occasions. We will give stress on collective responsibility and the board will work together to improve civic services.”

Former chairman Kartik Ghosh, who resigned on November 24 following the party’s poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections in the district, said he accepted the decision in party discipline. “I resigned as directed and supported the new chairman. I have not left the party,” he stated. BJP councillor Basanti Roy, however, alleged that internal differences within the TMC had delayed the election process, though she confirmed that BJP councillors attended the board meeting as per procedure.

Meanwhile, in Dalkhola Municipality of North Dinajpur district, Tanay Dey, councillor from Ward No. 4, was unanimously elected as chairman during a meeting of the Board of Councillors held at the municipal office on Wednesday noon. The post had been lying vacant for over a month after former chairman Swadesh Chandra Sarkar resigned on November 10 on the directive of the state TMC committee.

Sources said the reshuffle was part of a wider party strategy in municipalities where TMC candidates had lagged behind in the 2024 parliamentary elections. After assuming office, Dey said the absence of a chairman had adversely affected municipal functioning and assured that he would work in coordination with all councillors to strengthen civic services and accelerate development in Dalkhola.