Uncertainty has hit the functioning of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) following the resignation of four members, mayor-in-council (MMIC), one of whom also quit the Trinamool Congress.
On Thursday evening, mayor Gautam Deb had sent his resignation letter to the commissioner of the SMC. The letter was forwarded to the state urban development and municipal affairs department on Friday.
Following the mayor’s resignation, four MMICs — Rajesh Prasad Sha (Munna), Abhaya Bose, Kamal Agarwal, and Manik Dey — also put in their papers.
Shah also resigned from the primary membership of Trinamool.
Two other Trinamool councillors — Shivika Mittal and Dilip Barman — also resigned.
“After the resignation of the mayor and members of the mayor-in-council, we are confused about how the board will function in the coming days, especially when the monsoon is in full swing," a source said.
Trinamool functionaries in the city, however, said despite the resignations, the party still retained a majority at the civic board.
“Those who have not resigned can continue to run the board by selecting a mayor and deputy mayor from among themselves and submitting a proposal to the state government within 72 hours of the mayor’s resignation. But no such official communication has been made so far,” a reliable SMC source said on Saturday.
“If they fail to submit the proposal within the stipulated period — by Monday evening — the matter will be officially communicated to the state urban development and municipal affairs department. In that case, a decision may be taken to dissolve the board and appoint an administrator to run the civic body,” the source added.
A senior Trinamool councillor claimed that the party had already selected two names for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor. “The proposal will be officially communicated to the government through the appropriate authority in due course,” the councillor added.
Left Front leaders in Siliguri criticised Trinamool for creating confusion over the functioning of the civic body.
Saman Pathak, secretary of the CPM’s Darjeeling district committee, alleged that elected representatives were abandoning their responsibilities despite receiving the people’s mandate.
“We have witnessed evasion of duties in the SMC, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in the hills, and the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad in recent days, and we strongly condemn it. How can important office-bearers step down before completion of their tenure when people have voted for them?” he said.
“On June 22, we will organise a mass convention at Mitra Sammilani to apprise the citizens of leaders eschewing their responsibilities,” Pathak added.
SMP chief quits
Arun Ghosh, sabhadhipati of the Trinamool-run Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP), submitted his resignation to the district magistrate of Darjeeling on Thursday.
“People’s mandate has gone against us, and there is no question of holding the post. That is why I have resigned,” he said.
Like the SMC, Trinamool had won the SMP for the first time in 2022. The party had bagged eight of nine seats. One seat went to the BJP.