Hooghly, 03 November (H.S.): In a significant political development, the BJP has formed a new board in Arandi-II Gram Panchayat in Arambagh, which was previously controlled by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). On Tuesday, BJP's Biswajit Mallick was elected as the new Pradhan with the support of eight TMC members, marking a change in the political equation of the panchayat.

The 18-member Arandi-II Gram Panchayat originally had 13 TMC members, four BJP members and one CPI(M) member. Subsequently, one BJP member passed away. Allegations of a standstill in the panchayat's functioning had emerged after the Assembly elections. It was alleged that the Pradhan and some other members were not regularly attending the panchayat office, causing inconvenience to residents in accessing various public services.

On September 28, a section of TMC members expressed no confidence in the Pradhan from their own party. This eventually led to the fall of the previous board. The election process to choose a new Pradhan was completed on Tuesday in the presence of block administration officials.

Three BJP members, along with eight TMC members, supported Biswajit Mallick, paving the way for his election as the new Pradhan.

On the occasion, BJP workers and supporters took out a procession from Mamudpur and reached the panchayat office, where the newly elected Pradhan was felicitated.

After assuming the new responsibility, Biswajit Mallick said that providing smooth and better public services would be his primary objective. He added that restoring normal functioning of the panchayat and resolving local residents' problems would receive special attention.

The formation of a BJP-led board in Arandi-II Gram Panchayat has triggered fresh political discussion in the area.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey