Krishna Chakraborty took oath as the new mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation on August 10. She was the chairperson of the board of councillors helmed by Sabyasachi Dutta who resigned as mayor on July 18.
The swearing-in was attended by political personalities like ministers Subrata Mukherjee, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Sashi Panja, Bratya Basu, local MLA Sujit Bose and local MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as well as singers Pratul Mukhopadhyay and Sibaji Chatterjee. Dutta was absent. “He has just returned from a trip abroad today,” Chakraborty said.
Chakraborty promised to give more importance to Rajarhat which, according to local councillors, was neglected in Dutta’s tenure.
Councillors take their seats in the Poura Bhavan board room ahead of the board meeting and swearing in
Mentor matters: The new mayor wipes a photograph of the chief minister hung in her chamber
Tapas Chatterjee, who was also in the race for the hot seat
Junior health minister Chandrima Bhattacharya greets the mayor as women and child development minister Sashi Panja looks on
Councillor of Ward 7 Debraj Chakraborty, who is expected to be inducted in the mayoral council, speaks to Krishna Chakraborty.
The new chairperson will be elected at a board of councillors’ meeting to be held on August 30. Councillor of Ward 30 Anita Mondol is expected to be the new incumbent. “I will resign as chairperson of Borough V on Wednesday and file nomination on Thursday,” Mondol told The Telegraph Salt Lake.
Dutta’s mayoral council stands dissolved since August 10. Though there is no official confirmation on when the new names would be announced, sources said the announcement might happen next Friday after the chairperson’s election.
A new face expected to be inducted in the council is Debraj Chakraborty, a former IT professional, who was earlier the confidential assistant of minister Purnendu Bose and was elected councillor of Ward 7 on a Congress ticket before rejoining Trinamul Congress in 2016.
Councillor of Ward 27 Prosenjit Sardar, who is close to Dutta, had resigned as mayor-in-council, sports and youth services, on July 22. The other incumbents are expected to retain their places though some rationalisation of portfolios might take place. Deputy mayor Tapas Chatterjee, who was handling PWD and roads, might be given more responsibility.