Internal feud rocks Bengal municipality, 16 TMC councillors quit

Sixteen councillors of Halishahar Municipality submitted their resignations at the Barrackpore Sub-Divisional office. The move has sharpened concerns over internal dissent and continuity in local governance after the recent poll setback.

In Short

• Five women councillors were among those who submitted resignations together
• Councillors reportedly blamed senior leaders for ignoring concerns after defeat
• Chairman Shubhankar Ghosh stayed back, exposing divisions within the municipality

West Bengal's Halishahar Municipality saw 16 Trinamool Congress councillors submitting their resignations at the Barrackpore Sub-Divisional office, triggering fresh instability in the civic bodies across the state. As per the sources, the councillors resigned collectively following growing dissatisfaction within the local leadership after the party’s recent poll setback. The resigning members reportedly alleged that senior leaders, including the area’s Member of Parliament, Partha Bhowmick, failed to reach out to them or address their concerns after the electoral defeat.

The mass resignation comes close on the heels of a similar political development in neighbouring Kanchrapara Municipality, raising concerns over widening cracks within the local political structure in the Barrackpore subdivision.

Among the 16 councillors who resigned are five women representatives. However, the Chairperson of Halishahar Municipality, Shubhankar Ghosh, did not join the group and remains in office, indicating divisions within the civic administration itself.

The list of councillors who stepped down was formally released by Sudipta Das, MLA of Bijpur Assembly under which Halishahar falls. Despite the sudden political upheaval and the possibility of administrative uncertainty, Das attempted to reassure residents that public services would not be affected.

“I want to assure the public that municipal services will not be impacted. General services for the citizens will continue to function normally despite these changes,” the MLA said while addressing concerns over the functioning of the municipality.

It is alleged that dissatisfaction has been growing within sections of the municipal leadership since the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election results, with several councillors reportedly expressing concerns over the lack of active leadership and issues related to civic administration. Insiders also claimed that Sudipta Das recently held discussions with municipality officials.

The decision to submit the mass resignations was finalised during a meeting of Trinamool councillors held in Kalyani on Sunday.

The resignations have sparked speculation about internal conflicts and dissatisfaction among grassroots leaders, especially following the recent electoral performance in the region. Political observers believe the development could significantly impact local governance and political equations in the Barrackpore belt ahead of future civic and assembly-level contests.

The sudden vacuum created by the resignations is expected to intensify pressure on the ruling leadership to contain dissent and restore organisational unity.

- Ends
With inputs from Dipak Debnath