Raiganj: The Trinamool Congress (TMC), with their absolute majority, constituted the board of North Dinajpur Zilla Parishad on Monday. Pampa Paul, who had won from the Karandighi seat, was made the Sabhadhipati while Gulam Rasul, the winning candidate from Goalpokhar-I, was selected as Sahakari Sabhadhipati of the board.
In the Panchayat elections, TMC had bagged 23 seats and Congress 3, out of a total 26 seats in North Dinajpur Zilla Parishad.
The TMC, on Monday, also formed all nine Panchayat Samiti boards in the district with a huge majority. In North Dinajpur, there are a total of nine Panchayat Samities — Chopra, Islampur, Goalpokhar-I, Goalpokhar-II, Karandighi, Hemtabad, Raiganj, Itahar and Kaliyaganj. In Chopra, TMC won without contest. Elections were held in the eight other Panchayat Samities and in all the eight, the party emerged victorious with a majority and constituted the boards.
President of North Dinajpur TMC committee, Kanaiyalal Agarwal, said: “People believe that development in the district will be possible only through TMC supremo Mamata Banarjee so they voted for the TMC everywhere. We instructed our Panchayat members to be more active and serve the masses. The boards of both Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samities followed the directives of the TMC state committee. We had to face no problems in the constitution of the boards.”
Newly-elected Sabhadhipati, Pampa Paul, said: “We attribute this victory to our TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. She introduced so many welfare schemes, including Kanyashree for downtrodden people. Our duty will be to provide all facilities to the appropriate persons. We will give priority for the construction of roads, supply of fresh drinking water to villages and development or agriculture.”
Meanwhile, TMC placed its trust on Snigdha Saiba for the post of Sabhadipati in the Zilla Parishad. She had emerged victorious in the Kalchini block this time.
Snigdha is a high school teacher. The position of Sabhadhipati was reserved for the Scheduled Tribe. Manoranjan Dey, who was victorious from Alipurduar block-I, has once again been nominated as the Saha-Sabhadhipati. With no opposition in the 18-seat Alipurduar Zilla Parishad this time, the TMC
maintains a stronghold.