The Trinamool Congress on Saturday filed nomination papers for the post of mayor and chairman of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, raising fresh challenges for the Left Front which was considering to wrest their control over the second most-important civic body in the State.
While the TMC has 17 seats in the municipal body, the Left Front with 23 seats is one short of majority. TMC leader Nantu Pal filed nomination for the post of mayor while another party leader, Ranjan Sarkar, filed nomination for the post of chairperson of the municipal body.
Former Left Front Minister and leader of the CPI (M) Ashok Bhattacharya, who has filed nomination for the post of mayor, questioned as to how the TMC with a lower number can think of getting its mayor elected. “We do not know what kind of game they are trying to play. We have got the magic figure to form the board. They have a lower number,” Mr Bhattacharya said.
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State’s North Bengal Development Minister Gautam Deb said that the TMC cannot divulge its strategies to media.
The Congress has four councillors in 47-member board while the BJP has two. One councillor has been elected as an Independent candidate, who has announced his support to Left parties. The polling for the post of the mayor and chairman will be held on May 18.