Trinamool set to take control of Bhatpara Municipality by Jan 3

Kolkata: Three Trinamool Congress councillors of Bhatpara Municipality served notices to the executive officer of Bhatpara and all members of the existing board of the civic body, for convening a meeting to move a no-confidence motion against the chairman within 72 hours.

State Food and Supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick, who is also the party president of North 24-Parganas, claimed that with the move taken on Monday, TMC will be able to form the board of Bhatpara Municipality by January 3, 2020. It may be mentioned that 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.

"As per the West Bengal Municipal Act, the chairman was to convene a meeting within 15 days or the vice-chairman within seven days, for moving the no-confidence motion. But none of them did so. Hence, we have taken this step. It is just a matter of time that Bhatpara Municipality comes under our control," Mallick said.

It may be mentioned that TMC has already reestablished its control over the Naihati, Garulia, Kanchrapara, Halisahar and Bongaon civic bodies in the district that had gone to the BJP after the Lok Sabha elections.

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