After completion of a series of switch over in Jalpaiguri, and also Darjeeling hills from Congress and GJM, TMC is on a prowl in Siliguri. The Left yesterday fell into the uncertain political space of running a minority board in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation after a Forward Bloc councillor switched to Trinamul.
The development does not mean the Asok Bhattacharya-led board would topple overnight - Trinamul is six short of the majority number of 24 - but the ruling party has managed to strike a blow at the very point where the Siliguri Model was born - Asok's backyard.
Yesterday, after the switch of Bloc councillor Durga Singh brought the Left's strength down from 24 to 23 - one short of majority in the 47-member board - the spectre of a failing Siliguri Model may have loomed large again before the Left.
The CPM quickly arranged for a show of strength in the evening, assembling 19 of its 22 councillors in its support - an Independent also supports it - and gave explanations for the three who were missing, among them mayor Asok Bhattacharya.
Trinamul, which had 17 members, now has 18. The Congress has four members and the BJP two.
Trinamul's Darjeeling district president Gautam Deb had recently spoken about bringing "significant changes in the civic board". Trinamul sources said Singh's defection was the first example of this.
According to rules, Trinamul can bring a no-trust motion against the Left as it has one-third the total number of seats, which is 16. Trinamul has 18 councillors.
But to prove majority later, the party would need the strength of half-plus-one board members, which is 24.
The state's ruling party is six short.
[With inputs from Telegraph, file pic]
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