6 CPI(M) councillors resign from civic body on health grounds

Six CPI(M) councillors of the Halisahar Municipality in North 24-Parganas district today submitted their resignation to the SDO here, citing health grounds.
The move has now reduced the Left Front-ruled 23-member civic board to a minority and has prompted the opposition Trinamool Congress to bring in a no-confidence motion against it, sources said.
The Halisahar municipality comprises of 14 CPI(M), eight Trinamool Congress and one Congress councillors. SDO Purnendu Majhi confirmed about receiving the resignation of the CPI(M) councillors, and said the matter would be forwarded to the chairman tomorrow.
Accusing the TMC of intimidating its councillors, CPI(M) North 24-Parganas district secretary and party's Central Committee member Gautam Deb said, "Bike-borne hooligans owing allegiance to the Trinamool had attacked the houses of ten of our councillors last night and had threatened of dire consequences if they did not resign."

"Situation was such that none of them could even approach the police to file a complaint. However, one of the chairman-in-council members Sambhu Nath Ghosh has filed a complaint at the Naihati police station against the attacks and threats," he said, adding the state Home Secretary and North 24-Parganas district magistrate have been informed about the incident.
Denying the allegations, Trinamool district president Nirmal Ghosh said, "None of our party workers went to any CPI(M) councillor's house. They are bringing in baseless allegations against us as they are fast losing ground."
Meanwhile, Ghosh said seven Congress councillors, including the chairman of the Congress-ruled Baduria municipality, in the district have joined the TMC later in the day.

"We already had three councillors and with the Congress councillors joining us, the 17-member civic board will have Trinamool as the major party," Ghosh added.