January 17, 2026 Times of Dakshin Dinajpur
Balurghat Municipality Finds a New Anchor After Weeks of Political Drift
Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD. Balurghat
After weeks of political drift and administrative paralysis, the Balurghat Municipality has finally emerged from uncertainty with the appointment of Surajit Saha as its new chairman, bringing a measure of stability to a civic body long caught in factional crossfire.
Mr.Surajit Saha, a councillor from Ward No. 8, was named chairman on Saturday following direct intervention by the state leadership, ending a protracted impasse that had left the post vacant and the municipality without clear direction.
The crisis traces back to December 19, when 14 councillors moved a no-confidence motion against the former chairman, Ashok Mitra. The challenge exposed deep fissures within the municipal board and set off a chain of events that culminated in Mr. Ashok Mitra’s resignation on December 31. His resignation was formally accepted on January 10, rendering the chairman’s office officially vacant and plunging the municipality into weeks of administrative limbo.
During the interregnum, routine civic governance slowed amid uncertainty over leadership, even as political negotiations unfolded behind closed doors. Multiple names were floated, alliances were recalibrated, and the municipality became a microcosm of the broader power struggles within local politics.
On Saturday, the deadlock was finally broken when the state leadership stepped in to finalize Mr. Surajit Saha’s appointment. Party leaders said the decision was aimed at restoring coherence to municipal administration and accelerating stalled development work.With Mr. Surajit Saha assuming office, municipal officials expressed cautious optimism that day-to-day governance — from infrastructure projects to public services — would regain momentum.
At the same time, sources indicated that the long-vacant post of vice chairman is also likely to be filled soon, completing a long-awaited reconstitution of the municipality’s leadership.The reshuffle has reignited debate across political and administrative circles in South Dinajpur, underscoring how fragile municipal governance can become when political rivalries eclipse institutional continuity.
Subhash Bhowal, president of the South Dinajpur district unit of the Trinamool Congress, said the appointment would help restore stability and ensure that development initiatives proceed without further disruption.
For Balurghat, the naming of a new chairman marks not merely a change of guard, but the end of an uneasy interlude — and the beginning of a test of whether political truce can translate into effective governance.
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