Cong takes a blow as another party member resigns

KOLKATA: The Congress unit of Bengal suffered yet another blow as its party member, who was the deputy chairperson of Jhalda Municipality, resigned from her position citing moral grounds.

The vice chairman Purnima Khandu is learnt to have handed over her resignation on Thursday. According to her, there was no reason for her to continue in her position since her party lost majority strength in the municipality. It is learnt that she had consulted the former Congress MLA of Baghmundi Nepal Mahato. She became the vice chairman of the municipal body after her husband Tapan Khandu was shot dead by assailants following the elections in the municipal body.

Such a move comes in the wake of TMC regaining control of Jhalda Municipality recently which so far was in the hands of Congress. However, four Congress councillors, along with the chairperson of the civic body, joined the ruling party of the state.

The defectors are the chairperson Shila Chatterjee, and councillors Bijoy Kandu, Mithun Kandu (nephew of deceased former councillor Tapan Kandu), Pintu Chandra and Somnath Karmakar. They were handed TMC flags by the party MLA of Baghmundi, Sushanta Mahato. The MLA said that the said persons wished to work for development under the leadership of his party chairperson and state’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

He also claimed that these Congress workers were inducted into the party following protocols. Jhalda Municipality had 12 seats. Following the present defection, TMC’s strength increased to 10 councillors while the Congress was left with two.