Bhatpara Municipality gets new TMC chairman

Trinamool Congress leader Arun Bandyopadhyay was on Tuesday elected as the chairman of the Bhatpara Municipality in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, two weeks after the party wrested control of the civic body from the BJP.

Earlier this month, the TMC had won a no-confidence motion against the municipality's former chairman and BJP leader Sourav Singh by a margin of 19-0.

"Our challenge is to restart regular services meant for the common people. Everything here was stalled. People were not getting their salaries, pensions, and allowances.

"All our councillors have become very active. We will look into the demands and complaints of people, and work for them," Bandyopadhyay said after being appointed the new chairman of the municipality.

Three names were proposed by the TMC for the post of the chairman -- councillors of ward number 23 and 24 Satyen Roy and Hemangshu Sarkar respectively -- and Arun Bandyopadhyay, who represented ward number 25.

Congratulating Bandyopadhyay over his win, state food supplies minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said, "This shows Bhatpara is united. The new chairman is hard-working.... I am confident the municipality will regain its lost pride."