Prove your strength in the House: TMC, BGPM urges Darj civic body chairman

Amitava Banerjee  |  MP  |  29 Nov 2022  |  Darjeeling: Four Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) councillors along with a TMC councillor met the Chairman of Darjeeling Municipality and served him a requisition letter urging him to call an extraordinary special meeting within 15 days of the receipt of this letter and prove his strength in the house. In March, the Hamro Party (HP) with 18 seats came into power in the Darjeeling Municipality having 32 wards. 

The BJPM had then bagged 9 seats; TMC 2 and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha 3. Later just before the GTA elections, Amar Lama of the BGPM resigned from the councillorship to contest the GTA elections thus rendering the Ward number 24 seat vacant. 

Recently 5 councillors defected from HP and pledged allegiance to BGPM. The requisition dated November 24 states: "An extraordinary special meeting of the board of councillors of Darjeeling Municipality is hereby requisitioned by undersigned councillors constituting more than one-third of the total number of councillors of the said municipality. 

The specific agenda for which this extraordinary special meeting is requisitioned is the removal from office of the chairman of Darjeeling municipality. Please convene the said meeting within fifteen days from the receipt of this requisition." 

The requisition was delivered on Monday. The 16 signatories include Mukunda Rai Baraily (ward 26), Doji Dukpa (1), Nitesh Gurung (17), Prativa Tamang (23), Pema Choden (3), Usha Rai (15), Ratna Lama (21), Dipen Thakuri (2), Sitam Lama (19), Bijay Gazmer (32) Ganesh Sarki (18), Sanjay Gurung (5), Saran Chettri (13), Ganesh Pradhan (4), Bishnu Malla (7) and Dorjay Sherpa (8). 

While Ganesh Sarki and Sanjay Gurung are from TMC; Dipen Thakuri; Saran Chettri; Ganesh Pradhan, Sitam Lama; Bishnu Malla and Dorjay Sherpa are from HP. The remaining councillors are from BGPM. 

"We have removed Vishnu Malla, Sitam Lama and Dipen Thakuri from the Chairman-in-Council,'' stated Ritesh Portel, chairman, Darjeeling Municipality. 

Regarding the floor test, Portel said: "A letter was served. We will consult the Municipality lawyers, official staff and secretary to discuss the legalities and accordingly inform them."

Courtesy &  Source- Millenium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/prove-your-strength-in-the-house-tmc-bgpm-urges-darj-civic-body-chairman-500520