E Midnapore ZP prez quits, NIA nets TMC office-bearer

Kolkata: East Midnapore zilla parishad president Uttam Barik resigned on Friday, coinciding with the arrest of a Trinamool zilla parishad office-bearer by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with election-related violence.Barik travelled to Midnapore and submitted his resignation to the office of the divisional commissioner. Having lost the recent assembly election, Barik cited the changed political mandate and his inability to continue discharging the responsibilities of the post."In a democracy, the mandate of the people is final. I am stepping down because the people no longer want me here. Following the formation of the new government, administrative work has not yet fully commenced. I had been mentally preparing to make this decision to resign for a long time. The party chief will address the context surrounding the current friction within the party," Barik said.Meanwhile, NIA arrested Samsul Islam, Trinamool zilla parishad office-bearer for health, for his alleged role in violence during elections to the Tamluk-Ghatal Central Cooperative Bank. Crude bombs were hurled outside a polling station in Nandigram, injuring several BJP workers and local netas.