A Bharatiya Janata Party member has been elected pradhan of Makardah 1 gram panchayat in Domjur block of Howrah after seven Trinamool Congress members supported his selection, changing the leadership of a panchayat that had been controlled by the TMC.
Indrajit Mukhopadhyay, the only BJP member in the 22-member panchayat, was elected after the resignation of former pradhan Dibyendu Chattopadhyay. The election was held on Tuesday, with heavy police and Rapid Action Force deployment outside the panchayat office.
The panchayat falls under the Jagatballavpur Assembly constituency. Its 22 members include 19 from the TMC, one from the BJP, one from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and one independent member. Despite the TMC having a clear numerical majority, seven TMC members attended the meeting while the remaining members were absent, according to the report.
Domjur Block Development Officer Abhiraj Mishra said Mukhopadhyay was elected unopposed. He added that notices had been issued to all panchayat members for the election and that steps would be taken to ensure local services do not remain stalled.
The leadership change followed allegations of corruption against former pradhan Dibyendu Chattopadhyay. Multiple complaints were submitted at Domjur police station, after which the pradhan reportedly stopped attending the panchayat office. He resigned from the post several days before the election.
Mukhopadhyay said that work at the panchayat had been stopped for four months and claimed that residents had received little besides residential certificates during that period. He said the new administration would focus on development and work in the public interest.
The reported change has implications beyond party numbers because the pradhan is responsible for coordinating the functioning of the gram panchayat and helping maintain access to local civic services. The BDO’s statement indicates that restoring service delivery will be an immediate administrative priority.
The development also changes the leadership pattern in Domjur block. The report said all 18 gram panchayats in the block had earlier been controlled by the TMC. Following recent changes, TMC pradhans remain in 16 panchayats, while BJP pradhans now head Begry and Makardah 1 gram panchayat. The administration’s next step is to ensure that panchayat services resume without further interruption.
