Infighting in Trinamool over panchayat posts

Kolkata, June 26 Tamluk: Barely a month after its success in the panchayat polls, infighting has broken out in the Trinamool Congress with party members vying for the post of panchayat pradhan. It has also been learnt that in some places, Trinamool had came to power with the tacit support of the CPM and BJP supporters.

In East Midnapore district, where the Trinamool made a clean sweep of the Zilla Parishad, there have been frequent skirmishes among the party members in the past few days. For instance, in Chandipur block, skirmishes had erupted among party supporters over the post of pradhan and upa-pradhan.

In two other gram panchayats — one each in the Haldia and Tamluk block — Trinamool candidates had laid claim to the post of the panchayat pradhan and upa-pradhan with the support of the CPM and BJP supporters.

Trinamool district president Shishir Adhikary said: “I am aware of such incidents. But we cannot stop it. This is a new party and we are trying to instill discipline among our workers. We will report the incidents to our party high command.” He admitted that Trinamool leaders at the grassroots level have sought the support of the CPM and BJP.

CPM district secretariat member Ashok Guria said, “They have been seeking our support for the posts. We have asked our party workers to stay away and refrain from supporting them. Later, we may consider our options depending on their performance.”