Mekhliganj 1st TMC civic body to change to Congress colours

Jalpaiguri: Trinamool lost control of Mekhliganj municipality in Cooch Behar after its chairman, who defected to Congress on Friday, said six councillors would follow him into Congress. This will be the first civic body to be managed by Congress since the change of govt in Bengal.Chairman Prabhat Patani received the party flag from state Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar at the Pradesh Congress office in Kolkata, in the presence of Congress neta Debaprasad Roy.Following his induction, Patani said: "I joined Congress at their Kolkata office. When I return to Mekhliganj, six more councillors will formally join the party."Out of six municipalities in Cooch Behar, Mekhliganj consists of nine seats, all of which were won on TMC tickets. Before the assembly poll, the councillor from Ward No. 4 left TMC and joined BJP. About eighteen months ago, councillors removed the previous chairman and appointed Patani to the post.With Patani and six councillors joining the party, Congress has secured a majority, transferring control of the municipality. One councillor said he would stay with TMC.Speaking on the development, Roy said individuals who aligned with Congress ideology had previously joined Trinamool due to inducement or pressure. He added that these individuals, now facing an ideological crisis, were returning to Congress after recognising the reality.Sarkar said Congress accepts individuals who face no allegations of corruption, adding that this process has started with Mekhliganj.Explaining his departure, Patani added: "It is no longer possible to work in TMC because of its internal conflict. I joined Congress to ensure development of the area and to protect the interests of the public." The current political situation requires an opposition party to represent the population, Patani said, adding that he did not consult the TMC leadership because its district leaders have not maintained contact.Patani also criticised the ruling BJP. "Before assuming office, BJP used the slogan ‘Fear Out, Trust In'. Since the formation of the new govt, people are losing their livelihoods and hawkers are being evicted. Our future struggle is against these actions."Responding to the switch, Cooch Behar TMC district vice-president Abdul Jalil Ahmed said: "I am not aware of the situation regarding Mekhliganj. Many individuals are leaving the party during this phase, and we cannot force anyone to stay."Mekhliganj's BJP MLA Dadhiram Ray denied any coercion by his party. "BJP has not threatened or intimidated anyone in Mekhliganj municipality. However, if anyone believes that switching parties will protect them from investigations into corruption, they are mistaken."