Kolkata, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Trinamool Congress MLA Kajal Sheikh resigned from the post of Birbhum Zilla Parishad president on Thursday, submitting his official resignation letter to the Burdwan Divisional Commissioner.
The resignation came a day after 19 Trinamool Congress members of the 52-member Zilla Parishad moved a no-confidence motion against Sheikh. The vote was scheduled for Friday.
Sheikh, the Trinamool MLA from Hansan constituency, submitted his resignation to the Burdwan Divisional Commissioner on Thursday. Officials said the resignation was accepted and that Sheikh had been directed to hand over charge to the Zilla Parishad executive officer within five days.
The Birbhum Zilla Parishad has 52 members. Of these, 51 were elected on Trinamool Congress tickets and one represents the Congress. Following the death of one member, the Trinamool's strength has now fallen to 50.
According to political observers, Sheikh's decision to resign a day before the no-confidence vote indicates that he expected the motion to be passed with the support of a majority of the Zilla Parishad members.
Sheikh, who won the Hansan Assembly seat on a Trinamool ticket, is now aligned with the rebel faction of the party. He distanced himself from the faction led by TMC supremo and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and is associated with the rival group led by Ritabrata Trinamool.
Besides serving as an MLA, Sheikh had headed the Birbhum Zilla Parishad for a considerable period. The 19 Trinamool members who moved the no-confidence motion alleged that he had not visited the Zilla Parishad office since the Assembly election results were declared.
They claimed that his absence had stalled administrative work and prevented meetings of the standing committees from being held. The members said the no-confidence motion was aimed at ensuring the smooth functioning of the Zilla Parishad.
The letter seeking the no-confidence motion, submitted to the district administration, was signed by several executive and ordinary members, including Bikash Roy Chowdhury.
Taking a swipe at Sheikh's political position, Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh, who is aligned with the Mamata Banerjee faction, said, "On the other hand, all the 'good' Trinamools are there (BJP). Then why is there so much bickering among the 'good' ones? In fact, everything is being done through the police and through threats and intimidation, which is very unfortunate."
-- IANS/sch/snj/mr
Source: IANS
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