"Win these municipalities in elections if you have guts': Congress to TMC in West Bengal

With Trinamool Congress taking over control of opposition-ruled municipalities by way of defection of leaders to the party, state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury on Sunday challenged the Mamata Banerjee-led party to win them in election.

"Many people are saying that MLAs, councillors are leaving Congress. The TMC is taking over opposition-ruled municipalities one after another. I challenge them: win these municipalities in elections if they have guts," Chowdhury told a party programme here. TMC has recently taken control of the Zilla Parishads of Malda and Jalpaiguri following defection of opposition members. The party also has taken Jangipur and Baharampur in Murshidabad district, considered to be Chowdhury's stronghold, in the same way.

The state Congress chief asked the party workers to conduct roadside meetings and inform the people about the ongoing defections in the party and TMC's role in it. AICC General Secretary and Congress in-charge of West Bengal, C P Joshi, was scheduled to address the programme but he did not attend it.