TMC takes over Behrampore municipality

In a severe jolt to Congress, the TMC today took over the effective control of Behrampore Municipality as several councillors including the municipality Chairman switched over to the Mamata Bannerjee-led party.
The municipality was known to be a stronghold of state Congress President and Murshidabad strongman Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Nilroton Adhya, along with 17 Councillors today joined TMC in the 28-member strong Behrampore municipality.
The TMC's strength now stands at 18 from the earlier 1.
"The Congress' decision to align with the CPI-M during the last Assembly poll had proved to be a "political harakiri" as the rank and file of the Congress did not accept the alliance. By the end of this year there would be no sign of political presence of Congress and CPI(M) in Bengal, senior TMC leader and MP Abhishek Banerjee told reporters.

"While people have rejected this unholy alliance, those who are joining TMC want to be part of the development process started by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," he said.

Malda and Murshidabad are considered strongholds of Congress, with the latter described as the backyard of state Congress President Adhir Chowdhury.
Recently, in a blow to Congress and Left Front, the TMC took control of Malda and Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishads after several of its members switched over to TMC.
Plagued by defections and infighting, the beleaguered Congress and CPI(M) are finding it difficult to keep their flock together in the face of the Trinamool Congress juggernaut in West Bengal.

During the last few months since the Assembly poll results were out delivering a thumping majority to the Trinamool Congress, the party managed to take over various opposition-controlled municipalities and panchayats in the state, with Councillors and Panchayat members shifting to the TMC fold from either Congress or Left Front constituents.
Even three MLAs, two from Congress and one from Left Front, have switched over to the TMC last month, bringing down the opposition tally in the state Assembly from 76 to 73 in the 294-member house.