Sainthia municipal board collapses as chairman and 14 councillors resign in Birbhum

The Sainthia municipal board in Birbhum district collapsed after the chairman, vice-chairman, and 14 councillors resigned from their posts on Sunday. The resignations were submitted to Suri Sub-Divisional Magistrate Suprateek Singh, leaving only two councillors in the 16-member civic body.

The resigning members alleged that “the people have rejected the Trinamool Congress (TMC).” Out of the 16 councillors, only Ward No. 3 member Manas Singh and Ward No. 9 member Maya Saha did not submit resignations. The mass resignation resulted in the effective collapse of the municipal board structure.

The Sainthia Municipality had witnessed a near-complete sweep by the Trinamool Congress in the 2022 municipal elections, where the party won 13 seats uncontested, and the remaining three seats were also secured by TMC candidates after voting. The civic body functioned without any opposition presence. The chairman of the board was Biplab Dutta and the vice-chairman was Kazi Kamal Hossain.

After resigning, former chairman Biplab Dutta stated that he was elected on a TMC ticket but claimed that public sentiment had shifted against the party, describing his resignation as a personal decision. Vice-chairman Kazi Kamal Hossain cited health-related reasons for stepping down, while other councillors also stated personal and medical reasons. A political reaction followed, with claims linking the resignations to broader political developments in the state.