TMC wins election to cooperative bank held under Central force cover

Of the 108 seats in the Contai Cooperative Bank, the ruling party won 101 seats. BJP supporters won six seats, and one seat was won by an independent candidate

Elections to the Contai Cooperative Bank in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district were held on Sunday under the supervision of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

The deployment of Central forces for the bank cooperative elections was ordered by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by Shankar Bera, a former chairman of the Erga municipality. There was tension in the area and sporadic reports of violence despite heavy deployment of central forces and State police personnel. Central forces were deployed in five locations.

Elections to the cooperative bank are significant because it is being held in Contai, an area considered a stronghold of the Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari. Mr. Adhikari defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 Assembly polls in Nandigram. The BJP also won the two Lok Sabha seats, Kanthi and Tamluk, for which elections were held earlier this year.

Results were declared on Sunday evening. Of the 108 seats in the Contai Cooperative Bank, the ruling party won 101 seats, BJP supporters won six, and one seat was won by an independent candidate.

Ramnagar Trinamool Congress MLA Ramnagar Giri said the deployment of Central forces was an excuse used by the BJP. “The BJP knew they would lose from the beginning, so they requested the deployment of forces in five locations.”

While violence during elections in West Bengal has been reported in the past, prompting the deployment of Central forces, this is the first time that central forces have been deployed for bank cooperative polls.

The Contai Cooperative Bank operates 16 branches located across the Purba Medinipur, and Paschim Medinipur districts and is the largest urban cooperative bank in eastern India.

Published - December 16, 2024 12:02 am IST