KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress is now in control of all the zilla parishads of West Bengal, having successfully carried out a no-confidence coup against the Congress in the Murshidabad zilla parishad on Friday.
The zilla parishad president (sabhadhipati) Shiladitya Halder of the Congress was voted out 43-0 in a no-confidence vote taken in the house of 70. Congress and Left Front members stayed away from the vote.
Murshidabad was the latest to fall to the Trinamool Congress, which wrested control of Uttar Dinajpur, Malda and Jalpaiguri zilla parishads over the past few months.
Although the vote was taken on Friday (Sep 23), the Trinamool had already taken control of the Murshidabad zilla parishad on September 10 and of the Behrampore (district headquarters) municipality on September 18 owing to large-scale defections from the Congress.
Murshidabad was considered a stronghold of the Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Trinamool Congress said wresting it is a gift to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is scheduled to visit the district on Monday.
Now the ruling party will turn its attention to the municipalities in Murshidabad district.