Siliguri mayor and TMC veteran Gautam Deb announced plans to hold a citizen’s convention on April 19 at Dinabandhu Mancha, as part of a broader initiative to connect with residents and understand local issues at the grassroots level.
The mayor added that similar events would be organised across the five borough committees (clusters of wards) within the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), with specific dates to be announced after the initial convention.
“The programme is aimed at fostering dialogue between citizens and the civic administration,” Deb said during a media briefing at the SMC office on Tuesday. “We want to hear from the people directly and address their concerns.”
However, Deb’s move is being viewed by some as a strategic outreach of the TMC ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Siliguri has traditionally tilted towards the BJP in recent elections, with BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh defeating TMC’s Omprakash Mishra in the 2021 Assembly polls by over 35,000 votes. Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista also secured a strong lead from Siliguri in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Political observers believe mayor Deb is laying the groundwork early for TMC’s resurgence in the region. BJP councillor Amit Jain alleged this was meant to distract residents from the TMC-led board’s "failures" over the past three years.
