At present, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) runs two Zilla Parishads, apart from many Panchayat Samiti and village (gram) panchayat .bodies in West Bengal TMC candidates had made corruption and nepotism the major planks of their campaign against the left parties, particularly the CPI(M) .

The most notable TMC victory had occurred at Singur panchayat elections. It was feared that the TMC would face a popular backlash as its sustained, disruptive agitation ended by driving away the Tata Nano car project. It robbed thousands of local people of a God-sent opportunity of lucrative employment.

But peasants and farmers rallied totally behind the TMC, confounding expert analysis. It won resoundingly at Singur, standing conventional wisdom on its head!

Now barely a couple of years later, there is a fresh, new twist to the tale. The TMC Panchayat Samiti Chairperson at Singur, Sulekha Malik has resigned, faced with corruption charges. It appears the chairperson and others had become embroiled in a major dispute with local TMC leader Mr. Becharam Manna, who spearheaded the anti Nano car agitation. The bone of contention: alleged misappropriation of official funds intended to help the local poor to acquire plots, allegedly involving lakhs of rupees.

Under this scheme, the state government had planned to purchase available land at local prices, for later distribution among and the settlement of, poor peasants. The allegation against the TMC led Panchayat samiti is that they had purchased land at much higher than going rates from a handful of favoured people, who later paid them a hefty commission.

This resulted in a heavy loss to the state exchequer. Naturally the number of beneficiaries remained low.

The biggest allegation is that nearly Rs 30,00,000 have changed hands merely as commission, among four or five persons.

In concrete terms, the Nasibpur Gram panchayat paid Rs 70,00,000 for a 2 acre plus plot at Gobindapur mouza area, which normally would fetched a price of Rs 27 lakh only. Naturally local people began asking questions that embarrassed the administration. Deputations met the local BDO, who will soon call the Chairman of the samiti for a hearing. This apart, there are also allegations regarding corruption in the mode of payment to workers who participated in the 100 days' work project, the ICDS and other schemes. .

Similarly, at Brindabanchak of East Midnapore district, the village panchayat faces a charge of misusing Rs 24,00,000 on the NREGA scheme. Here, the alleged corruption has occurred over the construction of a road, and the contractors are said to have shown an inflated amount by way of expenses. At Hanskhali, Nadia district, because of alleged corruption in the implementation of NREGA work, five persons including the local TMC “pradhan” have been arrested.

These incidents may not cast their shadow on the next assembly elections, which are not due immediately. But it would be unwise, for the TMC leadership, to ignore the evidence of growing corruption within the ranks of their trusted people. Locally, the impact or importance of these negative examples cannot be wished away.

For instance, in South 24 Parganas, where the TMC rules, many panchayats, of late, party supporters have lost elections to the governing bodies of two schools, which would have been unthinkable even months ago

More worryingly for the TMC and the anti-left opposition in the state, a report on the present situation prepared by central intelligence sources, facts from which have been published in a Bengali daily, should start alarm bells ringing in the TMC camp. It notes that the outcome of the next assembly elections would not be a cakewalk for the TMC-Cong (I) combine, by present indications. The fight would be very hard and the opposition has lost some ground because of the alleged corruption and mismanagement in the administration of civic bodies and other organisations they have taken over from the Left. TMC leaders had better beware, or else. (IPA)