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In a significant development, veteran Congress leader Sankar Malakar, who had been a key face of the party in Siliguri for over four decades, formally joined the Trinamul Congress (TMC)

today. The move has triggered debates across political circles, especially given Malakar’s long-standing association with the Congress. He had been elected as an MLA in 2011 from the

Matigara-Naxalbari Assembly constituency, following a seat-sharing agreement between the Congress and TMC. In 2016, he again won the seat, this time backed by the CPI-M, under a seat

adjustment formula. However, in 2021, contesting on a Congress ticket, he lost the election. The seat was won by BJP’s Anandamay Barman, who defeated the TMC candidate. Advertisement

Notably, Matigara-Naxalbari is a reserved seat for Scheduled Castes, and Malakar’s SC certificate has been under judicial scrutiny since his nomination. Allegations of a fake certificate had

surfaced back then, and the matter is still pending in court. Advertisement Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior political leader from Siliguri remarked: “Joining the TMC had become

a necessity for Malakar to safeguard his personal interests.” Reacting to the development, Matigara-Naxalbari MLA and BJP leader Anandamay Barman said, “Among the four SC certificates

issued to Malakar and his brothers, three have already been cancelled. Only a stay order is protecting his certificate from cancellation. Why it hasn’t been cancelled yet is something time

will reveal. But if he contests from Matigara-Naxalbari again under TMC, he will lose his deposit once more.” Barman further added, “By using a fake SC certificate to become an MLA from 2011

to 2021, he deprived the actual Scheduled Caste community. The people of this constituency will judge him accordingly.” The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) terminated Sankar

Malakar’s primary membership before his official switch to TMC. WBPCC president Subhankar Sarkar announced a new committee for the district, naming Subin Bhowmik as coordinator and Amitabha

Sarkar, Jiban Majumdar, and Alokesh Chakraborty as co-coordinators. Commenting on his decision, Sankar Malakar stated: “The Congress is in a miserable condition. With just 3-4 per cent of

the vote share, it is impossible to defeat the BJP. The leadership in Delhi is dysfunctional. TMC is the only party capable of defeating the BJP, and that’s why I joined them. I will fight

for TMC and ensure BJP’s defeat in north Bengal.” It’s worth noting that the TMC had recently announced its Siliguri district committee, keeping the president’s post vacant. Earlier, Aloke

Chakraborty — another Congress defector and a rival of Malakar — served as chairman of the committee, but he was replaced by businessman Sanjay Tibrewal, a close associate of chief minister

mamata banerjee. Chakraborty has since been elevated to the TMC state committee.  Advertisement