Manas Bhunia’s brother, many other gram panchayat members join Trinamool

Bikas is the younger brother of Congress MLA and the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Manas Bhuniya. A function was held at Trinamool Bhavan where party’s MP Abhishek Banerjee handed over the party flags to them. Veteran party leader Mukul Roy was also present at the function.

The Forward Bloc Councillor of ward 77 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Shamima Rehan Khan also joined Trinamool.

Banerjee said of the 39 Panchayat Samitis in West Midnapore, Trinamool now, had control over 37 of them while two are under the Left Front. In 13 Gram Panchayats, 12 are under Trinamool while one is under the CPI(M). In Zilla Parishad, of the three members from Sabang, two are from Trinamool Congress while one is under CPI(M).

On Thursday 90 Gram Panchayat members, 24 Panchayat Samiti members and 13 members of the Anchal Committee joined Trinamool.

CPI(M) Zonal Committee secretary Chandan Guchait alleged that Trinamool Congress had made false cases against the Opposition members who had been harassed. “The way Trinamool was taking over the panchayats was unfortunate and highly undemocratic,” he said. 

Rubbishing his charges Abhishek Banerjee said those who had joined the party on Thursday got in touch with them several months ago. There is no question of harassing them by making false allegations against them, he maintained.

Six CPI(M) members of Diamond Harbour II Panchayat Samiti on Thursday joined Trinamool Congress. Now, Trinamool’s strength in the Panchayat Samity is 16 while CPI(M) has 8 members.

Political analysts said after Trinamool Congress’ success in 2011 Assembly election, several leaders and workers from Congress had joined the party. But after three months since the new government was set up, a significant number of leaders and workers from CPI(M) had joined the party. 

The CPI(M) workers had joined voluntarily after realising that there cannot be any turnaround of the party in near future. “The development projects have attracted all sections of people and local leaders have realised that the only way to remain in politics is by carrying out development work.”

They maintained that it would be difficult for both Congress and CPI(M) to field candidates in the three tier panchayat election in 2018 and  Trinamool would win in  most of the seats in Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samitis uncontested.