Calcutta:
A meeting in Bengal last night underscores that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s rebel crisis is worse than she imagines. After a dramatic resignation in the state assembly Wednesday afternoon, Trinamool Congress rebel Suvendu Adhikari drove directly to the home of a party deputy two hours away.
Trinamool MP Sunil Mondal was mourning a death and, officially, Mr. Adhikari came to offer his condolences. But it turned out to be something of a summit of disgruntled Trinamool leaders.
Among them was Jitendra Tiwari, the MLA strongman from Trinamool in Asansol, who complained that his own government was denying central funds to his city for political reasons. His speech at a meeting yesterday should worry the Trinamool.
Sunil Mondal, the host, had also expressed his discontent hours earlier against Prashant Kishor, the star polling strategist advising Mamata Banerjee in his re-election campaign for the Bengal elections five months away. He criticized Mr. Kishor’s I-PAC.
“Those who speak of rebellion say that they are angry because they are losing ground and are forced to speak up. Why is the party not rectifying itself? That seems to be the cause of the common anger. Why are the people of I-PAC tells us to do this and that, even the color of the shirt we should wear? So what about the role of politicians? We want to talk to the Trinamool. If they accept our point of view, great. Otherwise, We will have to see “. Sunil Mondal said.
Adhikari has not made it official, but is expected to switch to the BJP on Saturday. Reports suggest that he will do so with much fanfare in the presence of one of the BJP’s top leaders, Union Interior Minister Amit Shah, who is visiting Bengal at the weekend. It is speculated that more Trinamool leaders are leaving and some of them are openly expressing their anger.
“It is a fact that in the Trinamool Congress, after Mamata Banerjee, the most popular leader of the party is Suvendu Adhikari. It cannot be denied. The leaders should have resolved any differences. They should have asked him what his problems were and have solved But they can’t even solve the problems of small leaders like me. How can they solve Suvendu Adhikari’s? “Jitendra Tiwari said at a meeting.
“They want to be in control of everything. But if the party leaves, what will you stay with? May the party survive,” he said, without naming anyone.
The Chief Minister’s side has gone on the offensive.
The party’s main MP, Saugata Roy, accused Adhikari of treason. “After winning the seats of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha in the party symbol twice and having been a minister for four and a half years, leaving the party just six months before the state elections is a betrayal. If he wanted to leave, he should have left two years ago, “Roy said.
He commented that Adhikari would be sidelined in the BJP. “The party already has leaders here. Will they leave the post to him? Did Mukul Roy get any suitable posts even after joining the BJP?”
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