Mayor Deb expresses to stand elections from Siliguri

Even as the Trinamul Congress is yet to officially announce its candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections, Siliguri Mayor Goutam Deb on Friday publicly stated that he intends to contest from the Siliguri Assembly constituency.

Addressing an official programme in the Dabgram-Fulbari Assembly segment under the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Mr Deb said; “I am returning to my motherland. I will not contest from Dabgram-Fulbari. However, given time and opportunity, I will continue to work for the people of this area.”

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He added that the party’s candidates’ list is currently being finalised and will be announced following notification from the Election Commission of India. “A suitable candidate will be fielded from Dabgram-Fulbari. I urge people to support the nominee, keeping in mind the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and the welfare schemes introduced by her government, including Lakshmi Bhandar, Kanyasree and the recently launched Yuva Sathi,” he said.

Notably, Mr Deb was elected twice from Dabgram-Fulbari in 2011 and 2016. He served as minister for North Bengal development in 2011 and later held the tourism portfolio. However, he was defeated in the 2021 Assembly elections, when BJP candidate Shikha Chatterjee won the seat.

Reflecting on his tenure, Mr Deb said, “I worked tirelessly. Most of the roads in the area were built during my tenure. Despite extensive development work, I suffered a heart attack and had to undergo bypass surgery. Yet, in 2021 and again in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, people supported BJP candidates. Unfortunately, neither the MLA nor the MP has delivered meaningful development in this region.”

He further noted that while he accepted the electoral verdict and later assumed office as Mayor, residents of Dabgram-Fulbari continue to face difficulties due to a lack of adequate public services.