Ahead of 2018 panchayat polls, Mamata plans to make two Bengal districts congress-free

KOLKATA: Before 2018 panchayat elections in Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress is planning to wash out the Congress from two districts of Murshidabad and Malda which are still considered to be Congress strongholds. Interestingly, Trinamool Congress failed to win a single of the total 12 Assembly seat from Malda district. In Murshidabad, Trinamool had won just 4 of the total 22 Assembly seats in this year's elections.

On July 21, a CPIM MLA from Malda district, Dipali Biswas had left the party and joined Trinamool Congress and helped the ruling party to make their presence felt in the state Assembly from the district which is still considered to be Congress bastion.

Trinamool's organisational strength in Malda and Murshidabad are considered to be weakest compared to their positions in other Bengal districts. Bengal transport minister and Trinamool Congress in charge for the two districts, Suvendu Adhikary told ET on Thursday that "You will not find Congress anywhere in Malda and Murshidabad after December this year. Most of the Congress leaders from the two districts are extremely unhappy with the party leadership for holding electoral alliance with the CPIM and continuing the same even after polls.

Congress leaders from these districts are keeping constant touch with us and they will be joining Trinamool in large numbers before December 31."

Only on Wednesday, six Congress councillors and one RSP councillor from Benldanga Municipality in Murshidabad district had joined Trinamool Congress, enable the ruling party to establish their rule in the civic body which was won by the Congress. Earlier this month, Trinamool Congress managed to wrest two municipalities of Jangipur and Ziagunj-Azimgunj in Murshidabad district as Congress and CPIM councillors had joined the ruling party.

Adhikary also claimed that Congress zilla parishad member from Murshidabad district, Mainul Haque had also joined Trinamool Congress on Wednesday, helping the ruling party to increase the number of zilla parishad to 19.

Bengal Congress president and party MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, when contacted, said on Thursday that " Mamata Banerjee is resorting to undemocratic way to capture civic bodies which were originally won by the Congress and other opposition parties. She is also using her police and administration to intimidate elected peoples representatives at different levels to quit our party and join her. Bengal is now witnessing an unprecedented political scenario which the state had not experienced since Independence."