TMC fights TMC over Murshidabad rural boards

BEHRAMPORE: The ruling Trinamool is heading for a new challenge in Murshidabad even after getting a walkover in more than 60% seats in the three-tier rural polls. Like members of rival parties, rival groups within TMC are staying in groups to ward off poaching efforts.
The tension came out in the open on Thursday when as many as 133 TMC gram panchayat members took to the streets in Raghunathganj to voice their protest against minister of state and district leader Jakir Hossain.All of them have been staying put in an undisclosed location for the last one week.
Thursday’s protest is an indication of how dissent within Trinamool is shaping up into opposition in this district, where the ruling party has won 50 of 70 seats uncontested (71.42%) in zilla parishad, bagged 472 of 736 seats in panchayat samiti without contest (64.13%) and 2,679 of the total 4,171 gram panchayat seats (64.22%) unopposed. TMC has a majority in as many as 250 gram panchayats, leaving only three GPs for the opposition.
The incident comes days of the high-impact explosion at a TMC office at Barrah village in Birbhum, where the party has an absolute sway in the panchayats.
Trinamool member of Jarul gram panchayat under Raghunathganj, Partha Pratim Pandey, alleged that Hossain was trying to force former pradhan Rina Biwi’s name as pradhan against the wishes of the majority Trinamool members. “As many as 18 gram panchayat members are with us. They have been holding secret meetings to field an acceptable face against Rina,” Pandey said.
Pandey enjoys the backing of Trinamool Jangipur subdivision president Bikash Nanda.
Raghunathganj is no exception. Trinamool members of Daulatabad gram panchayat in Behrampore are spending nights in two groups led by Sahabul Khan and Rubel Biswas. Both these leaders claim to have a majority in the 19-member panchayat. The scene is similar in Manindranagar gram panchayat where Trinamool members owing allegiance to district leaders Manoj Chakraborty and Tapan Ghosh stand divided.
Hossain, however, said he was not aware of any such dissent. Trinamool district spokesperson Ashoke Das said office-bearers will be elected with the support of majority members.