Kolkata, May 27 (IANS) Two Trinamool Congress councillors on Wednesday resigned from their posts at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

Sushanta Ghosh resigned as the chairman of borough number 12 of KMC. He submitted his resignation letter to KMC Commissioner Smita Pandey.

He was accompanied by another Trinamool councillor, Arup Chakraborty, who resigned from the post of member of the KMC’s accounts committee. However, neither leader resigned as Trinamool councillors, but only from the posts they held at KMC.

On Wednesday afternoon, Sushanta and Arup were seen arriving at the KMC headquarters in central Kolkata together. Speculation started over why they had suddenly come to the civic body office.

However, it was later learnt that Sushanta had come to resign from the post of borough chairman. In addition, Arup resigned from the KMC’s accounts committee. Later, the two also submitted their resignation letters to KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim at his office.

Sushanta is a councillor of ward number 108, and Arup is a councillor of ward number 98 of KMC. Even though they have resigned from their KMC posts, they are not leaving their councillor posts.

Speaking to media persons, Arup said the result of the Assembly poll was not desirable and that the verdict of the people must be taken seriously. He added that if they could not accept defeat, the previous victory would become meaningless.

He also claimed that party workers were now in danger and questioned the absence of ministers who had benefited for so long.

Meanwhile, Sushanta also expressed similar views. He said that if the people wanted, he would also resign as a councillor.

It is worth noting that on November 15 last year, an assailant allegedly tried to shoot Sushanta in front of his house. The assailant came riding a scooter. However, Sushanta escaped unhurt as the bullets did not fire.

Later, the scooter driver fled, but Sushanta and his followers caught the alleged shooter, Yuvraj Singh. Subsequently, the alleged ‘main conspirator’ Afroz Khan alias Gulzar, a taxi driver named Ahmed Ali, and the alleged ‘mastermind’ of the incident, Phool Babu, were arrested.

Sushanta resigned as borough chairman and also raised questions about the investigation into the old incident. He felt that the investigation had not been conducted in the right direction. Sushanta appealed to the state’s current Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, to ensure a thorough investigation into the shooting incident.

A few days ago, the councillor of Ward No. 74 of KMC, Debalina Biswas, had taken a similar step. She resigned as chairperson of borough number 9. Her resignation letter was made public. Debalina had sent her resignation letter to KMC Chairperson Mala Roy.

According to Trinamool sources, Debalina took this decision due to the party’s debacle in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency.

–IANS

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