Ullal: In a notable development, SDPI backed T. Ismail spearheaded the Talapady Gram Panchayat elections held on Thursday and assumed the president post with the support of BJP, while the BJP's Pushpavathi Shetty was elected to the post of Vice-President unopposed.

In the meantime, Satyaraj, who also contested for the post of President, was defeated after the BJP supporters supported the SDPI backed member Ismail.

ALSO READ: Mangaluru police arrest absconding man accused in 10 cases

In the Panchayat, out of a total of 24 members, 13 of them were backed by the BJP, while one was backed by the Congress and 10 of them were backed by the SDPI. However, on the poll day, Congress backed Vaibhav Shetty and SDPI backed Habeeba D.B. were absent. Resulting in a tough tussle between T. Ismail and Satyaraj both competing for the post of President.

Meanwhile, both Ismail and Satyaraj were in a tie, with equal number of votes. However, later as per the election officer’s directions, the winner T. Ismail was decided based on the process of drawing lots. Even though the number of BJP supporters was higher, two of them voted for the SDPI backed leader, resulting in a tie.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.

BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.

Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.

Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.

ALSO READ: Slain Australia beach shooting suspect native of Hyderabad: T'gana police

Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."

"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.

The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.

The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.

Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".

"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."