Calcutta, July 2: The CPM’s decision to give the posts of both chairman and vice-chairman of the Salt Lake municipality to party members has the CPI fuming.

The CPM’s North 24-Parganas district secretariat today picked Biswajeeban Majumdar as the new chairman of Salt Lake and gave his deputy’s post to Ila Nandi.

The party zeroed in on Nandi to keep the faction led by her husband happy. Amitava Nandi, the CPM’s Dum Dum MP, had joined forces with transport minister Subhas Chakraborty to protest against the baton-charge on party workers on June 19, the day of the Salt Lake civic polls.

The three members of chairman-in-council (CIC) were also finalised by the party today. Sources said Tapan Talukdar, Nandagopal Bhattacharya and Radhanath Chand have been chosen.

The CPI, which bagged one seat in the Salt Lake municipal elections, is demanding the post of vice-chairperson.

“According to Left Front norms, when a second partner wins a seat in a municipal election, then that partner is offered the post of vice-chairman,” Swapan Banerjee, the CPI’s North 24-Parganas district secretary, said.

CPI candidate Chumki Banerjee had won from ward 7 to become the first non-CPM councillor from the Left Front in the municipality.

“Even if the CPM keeps the vice-chairman’s post, we want at least a CIC seat,” he said, adding that a decision would be taken at the district Left Front meeting on July 4.

CPM district secretary Amitabha Basu said the party has not formally announced the names of office-bearers.

“We will announce the names soon. There are some problems but no complications,” Basu said, when asked about the CPI’s response.

According to CPM sources, the party’s state leadership is likely to intervene. “The state secretariat will be informed about the development,” said a senior district committee member of the party.