BJP state president Sukanta Majumder congratulated the winning candidates. However, the CPM did not react immediately. THE TMC on Monday lost in a cooperative election at Nandakumar of Purba Medinipur district. This time, the TMC lost to a coalition panel comprising the local CPI (M) and the BJP.
Elections to the Nandakumar-Baharampur Cooperative Agriculture Credit Society were held on Sunday. The total number of seats was 63. The West Bengal Samobai Bachao Committee won all the seats.
According to sources, the TMC initially fielded contestants in all seats of the cooperative credit society but later they withdrew in 52 seats. Ultimately, polling was held in 11 seats and all the seats were won by the Committee. Earlier, in Kolaghat, the TMC lost to a local CPI (M)-Congress coalition in a cooperative credit society election.
Sheikh Hushiar Rahman, former president of Nandkumar Baharampur Cooperative Agriculture Credit Society Private Limited said, “We have already won 52 seats unopposed. There was voting in 11 constituencies.” Ashok Kumar Das, former secretary of the cooperative, added, “This organisation [Samobai Bachao Committee] has created a platform. The platform has been created to fight against the TMC.”
However, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Such instances should happen more often. So that we [TMC] can prove that the CPM and the BJP are hand-in-glove.”
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “At the grassroots level, many things can happen. But the CPM leadership should take note of this.”
BJP state president Sukanta Majumder congratulated the winning candidates. However, the CPM did not react immediately. A senior CPM leader of Purba Medinipur district said, “No political parties fight in the co-operative society. Individual candidates used to fight. Here, these candidates fought against corruption and against some close to the TMC who controlled the cooperative society.”