Trinamool Congress decides to join Siliguri Municipal Board

With a change in the political landscape of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress today decided to join the Siliguri Municipal Board, formed by Congress and Left Front in 2009 under controversial circumstances, after resignation of the mayor.

The Congress and Trinamool councillors today decided in a meeting of the board that mayor Gangotri Dutta of Congress would resign to pave the way for reorganisation of the board.

Congress district president Shankar Malakar said that under the agreement Congress would retain the mayoral post, besides getting the post of chairman and three mayor-in-council (MIC) seats.

Trinamool Congress would get the post of deputy mayor and four MIC seats.

In the 2009 municipal election, Congress and Trinamool Congress had jointly secured 15 seats each out of 47 while the Left Front had got 17.

Though the Congress-Trinamool combine was in a position to form the board, Congress decided to ally with the Left Front and formed the board, triggering rancour and bitterness between the two electoral allies.

Later, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee regretted the development while on a visit to Siliguri.

It was decided in the board meeting today that the mayor would resign after the municipal budget was presented on June 29 and then get re-elected with Trinamool support to form the board afresh, Malakar said.