The Trinamool Congress-run Kaliaganj municipality in North Dinajpur district was left without elected leadership on Saturday after the chairperson and vice-chairperson resigned, forcing the municipality’s chief executive officer (CEO) to take charge.
The Trinamool Congress, despite enjoying a majority in the 17-member civic board, has so far failed to name successors to the two posts.
A source said the chairman, Biswajit Kundu, had convened a board meeting on Saturday amid mounting administrative challenges faced by the municipality. However, Kundu announced his resignation before the meeting.
Later in the day, during the board meeting, vice-chairperson Jaya Barman Debsharma submitted her resignation to chairman Kundu. Both Kundu and Barman Debsharma handed over their resignation letters to the municipality’s CEO.
Neither of them offered any explanation for the resignations.
While the Trinamool Congress holds 10 seats and the BJP seven, only nine Trinamool and four BJP councillors were present in the board meeting.
“Despite having a majority in the board, the Trinamool Congress did not propose any name for the posts of chairman or vice-chairman. As a result, the municipality has effectively been left without elected leadership,” a source said.
In accordance with municipal regulations, the CEO assumed administrative charge of the civic body and sent a report to the state urban development and municipal affairs department.
BJP councillor Gauranga Das said: “We, the BJP councillors, will sit together and decide our next course of action.”
Kanaiyalal Agarwal, the Trinamool district president, said: “I had personally requested the chairman not to resign many times. A meeting of the remaining councillors will be held soon to select a new chairman and vice-chairman.”