Hooghly, 20 July (H.S.): Political tension gripped the Chinsurah Municipality premises in Hooghly district on Monday ahead of a meeting to constitute a new municipal board. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, supporters, and a section of local residents staged a protest outside the municipal office, raising slogans of Remove the Thieves, Save the Municipality and accusing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of corruption and failing to provide basic civic services.

As former Municipal Chairman and TMC councillor Amit Roy arrived to attend the meeting, BJP supporters allegedly shouted slogans against him and hurled eggs in his direction while chanting Chor, Chor (Thief, Thief). Amid the protest, Roy left the premises without attending the meeting.

Notably, Chinsurah Municipality Chairman Soumitra Ghosh, Vice Chairman Partha Saha, and two councillors had already resigned from their posts. Monday's meeting was convened to initiate the process of forming a new municipal board.

The Trinamool Congress alleged that the BJP deliberately organised the protest to disrupt the board formation process.

BJP leaders, however, claimed that widespread corruption during the TMC's tenure had eroded public confidence and asserted that no TMC councillor should be allowed to enter the municipality. The protesters demanded the formation of a transparent and corruption-free municipal board.

In the 2022 municipal elections, the Trinamool Congress won 29 of the 30 seats in Chinsurah Municipality, while the CPI(M) secured one seat. Amit Roy was appointed Chairman and Partha Saha as Vice Chairman. Following the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the area, Roy was replaced by Soumitra Ghosh as Chairman, who also resigned after about six months.

The police remained deployed at the municipal premises to maintain law and order as the protest created a tense atmosphere in the area.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey