KOLKATA: Once a trusted lieutenant of Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress strongman Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday resigned as party MLA amid buzz that he is all set to join the BJP.
Adhikari submitted his resignation to the assembly secretary around 4 pm. Sources said he will fly to Delhi on Thursday to meet the BJP national leadership. The party’s national vice president Mukul Roy said Adhikari was a leader of mass movement.
Adhikari’s move has triggered another slugfest between the state government and the ruling party on one hand and the Centre and the BJP, on the other.
“Suvendu’s resignation is not being accepted because the secretary has no authority to accept resignation letter of an MLA,” Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee said. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, however, tweeted, “Suvendu Adhikari, former minister, has by way of representation sought my intervention so that police and administration are dissuaded from implicating him and his associates in criminal cases out of political vendetta. Taking expected steps.”
Terming the rebel leader as a traitor, TMC MP and spokesperson Saugata Roy said, “During our last conversation, he told me that all issues would be sorted out. I don’t know the deal between the BJP and him.”
Adhikari’s move appears to have rattled the TMC as he enjoys significant influence in East Midnapore and his exit could set off a series of desertions.
A number of disgruntled district-level functionaries and elected representatives of the ruling party have started expressing their dissent.
There is also a lot of resentment among these leaders over election strategist Prashant Kishor and his team issuing directions to them.
Late on Wednesday evening, Adhikari held a closed door meeting with some of the disgruntled leaders, including Sunil Mandal, MP from East Burdwan, and Jitendra Tiwari, MLA and district TMC president. Mandal earlier alleged that the party was being run by “corrupt leaders and extortionists”.