The Congress has salvaged its fortunes in North Dinajpur district by taking control of the district Zilla Parishad board. While the Congress bagged 15 ZP seats, the CPI-M won in 8 and the Forward Bloc one to complete the tally of 24 ZP seats in the district.
While the Congress emerged strong at Chopra, Raiganj and Hemtabad blocks winning all seven seats in offer, the CPI-M made its presence felt in the Islampur and Karandighi blocks.
Both the outgoing sabhadhipati and saha sabhadhipati of the CPI-M led North Dinajpur Zilla Parishad Mrs Jyotsnarani Singh and Mr Ashok Singh respectively were defeated by Congress candidates.
Mrs Singh held the disunity in the Left Front responsible for her defeat. “We had no adjustment either with the Forward Bloc or West Bengal Socialist Party in the places where we lost,” she said.
On the other hand, the president of North Dinajpur Congress Committee Mr Mohit Sengupta said: “The Congress could have won the North Dinajpur Zilla Parishad board in the last elections too but the CPI-M leadership had unleashed terror a week ago killing Congress supporters and destroying numerous dwellings. But this year the reacted against the CPI-M torture and the result is for all to see.”
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