Agartala: August 28: In a surprising turn of events, the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) have joined forces to form the panchayat in Bhagwan Nagar village. This incident occurred within the Gaurnagar block in Kailashahar.
During the recently concluded Tristhar Panchayat elections, five members from the CPI(M), three from the Congress, and three from the BJP secured seats in the eleven-member Bhagwan Nagar Gram Panchayat. Unlike other gram panchayats in the Gaurnagar block, where the Congress and CPI(M) had jointly divided candidates, in Bhagwan Nagar, they contested separately.
Surprisingly, after the vote count, none of the parties—BJP, Congress, or CPI(M)—achieved an outright majority. Expectations were that the Congress and CPI(M) would form an alliance. Talks were held between the two parties, but the dynamics shifted during the swearing-in ceremony.
At noon on Wednesday, August 28, the oath-taking ceremony commenced at the Bhagwan Nagar Gram Panchayat Office under tight security. Initially, eleven people took their oaths as panchayat members. Later, Farida Begum, a CPIM-elected member, was proposed as the chief by the BJP, while Nehar Begum, elected by the Congress, was also proposed by the BJP. Ultimately, Begum assumed the role of chief, and Prasenjit Malakar, an elected BJP panchayat member, became the deputy chief.
Despite having five CPI(M) members, three Congress members defied their party whip and did not support the CPI(M). Vijay Das, an elected CPIM member, expressed disappointment, accusing the Congress of betrayal.
On the other hand, Sandeep Devarai, a BJP leader and barrister lawyer from Unakoti district, clarified that the BJP formed this alliance with three Congress members in response to the demands of the time and the villagers. He emphasized that this panchayat aims to be corruption-free and work for the betterment of the common people.
The Congress party’s response to its members’ disobedience remains to be seen.
