By TC News Desk
Agartala, June 19, 2023: In a fresh bout of internal strife, a conflict within the ruling party has once again grabbed the limelight. The incident unfolded in Bhabanipur gram panchayat, situated in the Kathalia block of the 23-Dhanpur assembly constituency area, which is governed by the ruling party.
The gram panchayat, comprising six wards, witnessed a no-confidence motion brought forward by several members against the current Pradhan. Since this morning, the dissatisfied members, supported by local residents, resorted to a road blockade on the Sonamura-Rajnagar road at Durlabhpur in Bhabanipur. The protest was spearheaded by the wife of the Dhanpur mandal vice-president and the Upa-Pradhan of Bhabanipur gram panchayat.
Allegations have been made that the Upa-Pradhan and four other members have been continuously lodging complaints with the Block Development Officer (BDO) for the past month and a half, accusing Pradhan Krishnadhan Debnath of engaging in corrupt practices by accepting money from the public in exchange for favors. Despite informing the state leadership, no action has been taken thus far.
Although a no-confidence motion was tabled, it was promptly dismissed, leading the dissatisfied members to stage the ongoing blockade. As a result, the first day of the week witnessed severe disruptions to traffic flow in both directions, inconveniencing schoolchildren and office commuters alike. In an attempt to resolve the situation, the Sonamura Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), and personnel from the Jatrapur police station engaged in talks with the protesters. However, the road blockers remain steadfast and refuse to withdraw their protest.
The demonstrators are demanding the presence of the Kathalia Block Development Officer (BDO) to address their concerns. Consequently, this conflict within the panchayat has been publicly exposed, raising doubts about the ruling party’s credibility in the area.
With the upcoming by-election in the 23-Dhanpur assembly constituency, followed by the Lok Sabha election and subsequently the panchayat election, political analysts foresee ample ammunition for the opposition to exploit from these activities, even before the official campaigning period begins.
