Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Jun 21: Trinamool Congress suffered another setback in North 24 Parganas district on Sunday after Shiuli Gram Panchayat Pradhan Arun Kumar Ghosh and seven other party members resigned from their posts, significantly reducing the party's strength in the local body.
The leaders submitted their resignation letters at the Barrackpore Block II BDO office, with Ghosh stating that the move was intended to honour the public mandate delivered in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, which saw the Trinamool Congress lose power in the state.
In a separate development, Naihati Municipality Chairman Ashok Chatterjee also tendered his resignation through an email on Saturday night. Naihati Municipality is also located in North 24 Parganas district.
Shiuli Gram Panchayat currently has 29 members against a total sanctioned strength of 30. Before the resignations, Trinamool Congress held 24 seats, while the BJP had three members and the Left Front had two.
The resignation of eight Trinamool representatives, including the panchayat pradhan, is expected to alter the political balance within the local body.
Speaking to reporters, Arun Kumar Ghosh said the decision was taken to respect the verdict of the people, as voters in the area had rejected the party during the Assembly elections.
He also indicated that more Trinamool representatives could step down in the coming days.
The political developments come amid a series of resignations by Trinamool public representatives across North 24 Parganas. Earlier, two councillors of Naihati Municipality had already resigned, further weakening the party's organisational presence in the district.
Following the change in government, Trinamool Congress has reportedly been losing control over several civic bodies across West Bengal.
Recently, the governing boards of Mohanpur Panchayat and Barakpur Municipality, both located near Shiuli Gram Panchayat, were dissolved.
Resignations by Trinamool representatives have also been reported from multiple municipal corporations, municipalities and gram panchayats across the state.
The growing number of vacancies has begun affecting the functioning of local bodies, with civic services reportedly facing disruptions during the ongoing monsoon season, raising concerns about the delivery of essential public services in several areas.