Ghoksadanga Gram Panchayat Pradhan joins Trinamool Congress

Cooch Behar: In a significant political shift, Sima Sarkar Debnath, the Pradhan of Ghoksadanga Gram Panchayat, has left the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to join the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The announcement was made on Thursday night at the Cooch Behar District TMC office, where she received the TMC flag from district president Abhijit Dey Bhowmik.

The BJP has maintained control of Ghoksadanga since the 2018 and 2023 Panchayat elections. In the 2023 elections, the BJP secured 10 out of 18 seats, while the TMC won 8. However, Debnath’s departure, along with another Panchayat member, shifts the balance, giving TMC 10 seats to the BJP’s 8. Abhijit Dey Bhowmik stated: “Despite being under BJP governance for two years, no development work has been accomplished in the area. The Pradhan’s decision to join TMC reflects a commitment to advancing development for the community.”

Seema Sarkar Debnath explained her decision, saying: “We won the election to serve the people, but I realized I could not do that in the BJP.” In contrast, Sukumar Rai, President of the Cooch Behar district BJP, alleged that Debnath was coerced into switching parties, claiming intimidation was involved.