BJP takes control of E Midnapore zilla parishad for first time

Tamluk: BJP on Monday officially took control of East Midnapore zilla parishad, ending 18 years of uninterrupted Trinamool dominance. The transition occurred smoothly despite TMC holding a numerical majority of 56 seats against BJP’s 14 out of a total 70 seats.Accepting moral responsibility for the recent poll debacle, incumbent chief Uttam Kumar Barik and his deputy Suhasini Kar had recently resigned. Following the demise of two members, the house strength stands at 68. With 64 members at Monday’s crucial meeting, shifting political alignments ensured a frictionless change as BJP won uncontested.BJP’s Bamdeb Guchhait was unanimously elected the new sabhadhipati after being proposed by Joydeb Midya.

Purnima Das was elected unopposed as the new sahakari sabhadhipati (deputy chief) following a proposal by Bansuri Pandit.BJP workers celebrated the announcements by bursting firecrackers and smearing saffron gulal. Tamluk MP Soumendu Adhikari, brother of Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari, oversaw the transition.A district neta hailed it as a “fifth-engine” force, promising unprecedented development with BJP controlling all levels, from the Centre to the zilla parishad.

East Midnapore has historically been a high-stakes battlefield, and TMC wrested control of the zilla parishad from the Left in 2008, even before its 2011 victory, making it one of the party’s oldest bastions.The political takeover coincided with major administrative announcements, including budget allocations for a new women’s college in Contai and the long-awaited Haldia-Nandigram bridge. Local BJP functionaries said having the zilla parishad aligned with the state leadership will fast-track these mega infrastructure projects.