Dissent Brewing: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Pradhan Loses Motion

A Correspondent

Agartala: Dissention is brewing among the panchayat members of the BJP against the party’s arbitrary nature of electing Pradhan and Upa-Pradhan which is being reflected in the form of a no-confidence motion ignoring the directives from the State leaders.

At least in three panchayats, the Pradhan and Upa-Pradhans faced no-confidence from their own party members and the number is increasing. Last one in the list is the Laxmipur panchayat under Teliamura block of Khowai district.

Pradhan Rupa Das and Upa-Pradhan Badal Bhattacharjee, both belonging to the ruling party, were removed from their posts by a no-confidence motion on December 20. Eight of the thirteen members of the panchyat, all of whom won the election uncontested, supported the no-confidence motion. After removing the duo, the dissident members in a written petition urged the BDO to arrange for election of new Pradhan and Upa-Pradhan as early as possible. They requested the BDO to remain present or to send one of his representative to conduct the election.

It may be recalled that in a similar situation, the BJP Pradhan of Krishnapur Gaon-Panchayat under the same block, Surajit Das, was removed from his post on October 24 following a no-confidence motion brought by his own party members. Gopal Das was elected Pradhan in his place in presence of a representative of the BDO but the charge is yet to be handed over to him.

After the panchayat election, the BJP followed a procedure to elect Paradhan and Upa-pradhan which many party members feel was not proper. The BJP State committee released a list of candidates for these two posts in every panchayat and asked the members to elect them. In many places the members found the candidates not acceptable but elected them owing to the whip issued by the party. Earlier, two panchayats in Kailasahar and Dharmanagar also faced the similar things.

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