briefs.

CPM retains Gangarampur seat

BALURGHAT, 1 JULY: The CPI-M retained the Gangarampur municipality bagging 12 out of 18 seats in the taking. The Trinamul won the rest six seats, much to the frustration of its supporters. Mr Balaram Ghosh, chairman of the previous board, won from Ward no 4 by a slender margin of eight votes. The South Dinajpur district Trinamul president, Mr Biplab Mitra alleged that a fair election would have changed the result, as every person of Gangarampur wanted the CPI-M to lose this time. However, the minister of small-scale cottage industries Mr Narayan Biswas rejected the contention and said that the party won as it had worked for development. ;SNS