Kolkata, July 6 -- Following the resignation of chairman Gopal Saha, independent councillor Sushanta Chatterjee, brother of BJP leader Locket Chatterjee, was elected chairman of Kamarhati Municipality. Amid speculation over the civic body's political control, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya on Monday sought a detailed report on the developments and warned against any attempt to project municipalities or panchayats as being under the BJP's control.
Speaking at a programme organised at the BJP's Muralidhar Sen Lane office to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Bhattacharya directed BJP state general secretary (organisation) Amitabh Chakraborty to submit a report on the Kamarhati developments by 4 pm.
Questioning the change in the municipality's leadership, Bhattacharya asked who had authorised the move and who had given anyone the right to run Kamarhati Municipality in BJP's name. He said the party would not tolerate any unilateral action and warned that strict steps would be taken if anyone attempted to make a municipality or panchayat appear BJP-ruled overnight.
Referring to the Chief Minister's announcement that administrators would be appointed in such municipalities and panchayats, Bhattacharya said that was the government's responsibility, not the BJP's. He also said district leaders should visit Kamarhati Municipality and symbolically wash the chairman's chair with Ganga water.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.