Kolkata: In a significant political development, BJP is all set to capture Bhatpara, Halisahar, Naihati and Kanchrapara municipalities in North 24-Parganas in West Bengal after 63 Trinamool Congress councillors in these four municipalities joined BJP on Tuesday.
While eight TMC councillors joined BJP in Bhatpara of North 24-Parganas, three MLAs and more than 50 councillors joined in New Delhi in front of senior party leaders Mukul Roy, Anil Baluni and Kailash Vijayvargiya. Vijaywargiya and Roy told reporters that more MLAs from the TMC will join the saffron party in the coming days.
Now BJP leaders will approach the District Magistrate in North 24-Parganas for officially taking charge of these four municipalities.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mukul Roy said, “Total seats in Kanchrapara Municipality is 24. Out of 24, 17 councillors including the chairman and vice-chairman joined BJP today. Total number of seats in Halisahar municipality is 23. Out of that, 17 councillors including chairman and vice-chairman joined BJP today. In Naihati municipality, 29 councillors out of 31 seats joined us. Now all these three municipalities will be governed by BJP.”
In Bhatpara, out of a total 35 seats, BJP has the strength of 19 councillors.
The development in all the four municipalities is considered as a second major setback for West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee after the Lok Sabha poll debacle.
Speaking to the News18, incumbent Barrackpore MP and former Bhatpara municipality chairman Arjun Singh, said, “Earlier we had 11 councillors with us and today eight more joined from TMC. So we have a strength of 19 now out of a total 35. We have the numbers to take control of Bhatpara municipality. In the evening, four more will join us and the then the total strength will be 23. We are soon going to take over the Bhatpara municipality. It is just the matter of time.”
When asked about the next step, he said, “We have already approached the District Magistrate and in the first week of June we will officially take over the municipality.”
On March 14, TMC strongman Arjun Singh had joined the BJP after he was denied ticket for the Lok Sabha Poll. Singh is an extremely popular leader in Bhatpara as well as in Amdanga, Bijpur, Naihati, Jagatdal, Noapara and Barrackpore assembly seats of this Lok Sabha constituency from where Mamata Banerjee had given ticket to Dinesh Trivedi and not to Singh.
When contacted TMC leader and vice chairman of Bhatpara municipality Somenath Talukder said, “Yes it is very unfortunate that our councillors have joined BJP today. We failed to prevent this situation as there is a strong BJP wave across the state. Most likely they (BJP) are going to take over the functioning of Bhatpara municipality.”
Bhatpara has also been in news for political violence as on Sunday night, a 36-year-old BJP activist was shot dead here.
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