Cooch Behar, June 18: Biren Kundu of the Congress today began his fourth term in a row as the chairperson of the Cooch Behar municipality, leaning on Trinamul Congress crutches.

The Congress had formed the civic board in the past three terms on its own in the 20-ward municipality. However this time, the party, having won in eight wards, had to take the support of the three Trinamul councillors to reach the majority figure.

Trinamul is, however, yet to decide on the vice-chairperson, the post left to them by the Congress.

After being sworn in by subdivisional officer Rumela Dey at the Lansdowne Hall at the district collectorate, Kundu said: “We will follow the laws governing the municipalities and try to provide concessions in water and conservancy taxes. We will try to provide improved urban services for the residents. Let Trinamul decide on a vice-chairman and and we will begin our work in close cooperation.”

Unlike Englishbazar, where the Congress’s Krishnendu Chowdhury was selected the civic chief unanimously by the 10 Congress and the four Trinamul councillors, a voting took place to elect Kundu as the head of the civic board. Kundu won 11 votes against the Opposition Left Front’s nine.

In the 12-ward Toofanganj municipality, it was a smooth transition back to power for the front. The CPM that captured eight wards formed the municipal board, with the four Trinamul councillors having to sit in the Opposition.

CPM’s Subhas Chandra Bhawal was sworn in as the chairperson for the third consecutive term, while the vice-chairperson’s post went to Ramesh Chandra Sarkar.

While the swearing-in ceremony in Toofanganj was lacklustre, there was a huge police bandobast at the district collectorate in Cooch Behar. However, no untoward incident was reported.

In the Mathabhanga municipality, where the verdict is tied at six each for the CPM and Trinamul, the subdivisional officer will decide on who will run the civic body with the toss of a coin tomorrow.