Hooghly, 25 August (H.S.): A major political and trade union upset was witnessed in the election for the Operations Committee at Bandel Thermal Power Station, with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)-backed panel securing a clean sweep in all 13 seats.

All 13 candidates backed by the BMS emerged victorious in the election held among employees of the Bandel Thermal Power Station. Panels backed by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress (INTTUC) also contested the election. However, neither organisation managed to win a single seat.

The Operations Committee at Bandel Thermal Power Station has long been considered a stronghold of Left-affiliated trade unions, particularly the CITU, which has traditionally maintained a strong organisational presence among the employees. Even during the Trinamool Congress-led government, this influence had not faced any major challenge.

Against this backdrop, the BMS-backed panel’s victory on all 13 seats is being viewed as a significant shift in the trade union landscape at the power station.

Rajesh Kumar Srivastava, the BMS election in-charge, said the employees had clearly expressed their trust and support for the organisation through the election. According to him, the victory was the result of employees’ unity, their confidence in the organisation and their desire for positive change.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey