Trinamool Congress 'captures' Congress-controlled municipality

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress Wednesday "captured" the Congress-controlled Beldanga municipality in Murshidabad district of West Bengal after seven councillors joined TMC, a senior party leader said.

Suvendu Adhikari, senior TMC leader and Transport minister, said six councillors of Congress and one of the RSP joined the TMC, giving the party an "effective" control over the Beldanga municipality.

The seven councillors, who joined the TMC, included the chairman and the vice-chairman of the municipality, he said.

Among the 14 councillors, TMC now has seven, BJP three, Congress three and the CPI-M one. Thus the divided opposition ranks gave the TMC an effective control over the municipality, Adhikari said.

He asserted that by the end of this year, there would be "no sign" of the Congress in Murshidabad district, which state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury claimed to be his "stronghold".

Adhikari said the Congress decision to align with the CPI-M during the last Assembly poll had proved to be a "political harakiri" as the rank and file of the Congress did not accept the alliance.

Only last week TMC had taken over two opposition- controlled municipal bodies - one in Murshidabad district and the other in Purulia district.