Bhatpara violence fallout: Trinamool clips minister’s role in party affairs 

The party leadership has divided North 24 Parganas into five organisational segments - Dum Dum, Barasat, Barrackpore, Basirhat and Bongaon - on the lines of the five Lok Sabha seats.
West Bengal Food and Supplies minister Jyotipriyo Mullick
West Bengal Food and Supplies minister Jyotipriyo Mullick

KOLKATA: After the debacle in the general elections and the Bhatpara violence in Barrackpore, the Trinamool has clipped the wings of food and supplies minister Jyotipriyo Mullick and assigned the responsibility of North 24 Parganas to five senior leaders. The development came a day after sporadic clashes erupted between BJP and Trinamool supporters at Bhatpara in which two people, including a teenager, were shot dead.

As per West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s instructions, the party leadership divided North 24 Parganas into five organisational segments — Dum Dum, Barasat, Barrackpore, Basirhat and Bongaon — on the lines of the five Lok Sabha seats, said a senior Trinamool leader.

Tapas Roy, Rathin Ghosh, Nirmal Ghosh, Krishna Gopal Banerjee and Gobindo Das will be now taking care of Dum Dum, Barasat, Barrackpore, Basirhat and Bongoan Lok Sabha seats, the leader said. Mullick, however, will function as the district president. “Any decision will have to be taken in consultation with the five-member committee and after a nod from the top leadership,” the leader said. Mullick said he would fulfill whatever responsibilities his party would assign him. 

The Trinamool had failed to retain Barrackpore and Bongaon Lok Sabha seats. While former party leader Arjun Singh, who defected to the BJP, secured victory at Barrackpore, BJP’s Shantanu Thakur won from Bongaon taking advantage of a split in Matua vote bank. According to Trinamool sources, the top leadership is miffed with Mullick, holding him accountable for the party’s poor showing in North 24 Parganas in the election as well as failing to counter the BJP attacks.

“We have lost the majority in five municipalities. Three days ago, a majority of Bongaon municipality’s councillors joined the BJP in Delhi. Mullick always kept saying the party leadership that everything was under control, but the ground reality did not corroborate his claim,”  said another Trinamool leader. 
Senior Trinamool leaders said if the changes in the district organisational set up do not work in future, more changes will be made. The party will also not think twice before removing senior leaders from their posts, they added. 

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