Hero Image

Vote over, Naihati civic body returns to TMC

Naihati (North 24 Parganas): Trinamool Congress has regained control over Naihati Municipality in North 24 Parganas, five months after some of its councillors joined BJP in Delhi soon after the 2019 Lok sabha polls.

A total 24 councillors in the 31-member board went with municipal chairman Ashoke Chatterjee in the high court-ordained no-trust vote held at the district magistrate’s office in Barasat on Wednesday.

The seven BJP councillors stayed away from the meeting.

With Naihati, the reversal in political power in the municipalities of North 24 Parganas came a full circle after Halisahar, Kanchrapara, Bongaon and Garulia. BJP leader Mukul Roy had herded some Trinamool councillors to his party, bringing about a change in the power game in the district. Bhatpara Municipality, run by BJP, is the exception.

Trouble began in Naihati Municipality after 19 Trinamool councillors moved a no-confidence motion against chairman Chatterjee on May31. It came as a threat to the Trinamool-run board because these councillors had dumped the party to join BJP in Delhi prior to the development. Sensing trouble, the Trinamool government appointed an administrator to run the municipality.

BJP councillor Ganesh Das from ward 8 moved the Calcutta High Court against this appointment. The HC ordered that the no-confidence motion be put to vote under the district magistrate’s supervision. The numbers changed after 12 of the 19 councillors in the 31-member board returned to Trinamool, taking its tally to 24.

All 24 Trinamool councillors took part in the voting. BJP councillors didn’t turn up. Municipality vice-chairman Bhajan Mukherjee presided over the meeting. “We were confident of winning the trust vote,” Chatterjee said.

BJP’s Das said: “BJP seniors instructed us to stay away from voting.”

READ ON APP