KOLKATA: The distribution of Under-17 FIFA World Cup tickets among MLAs has kicked off a political tussle in Bengal with Opposition parties alleging "discrimination", a charge denied by the ruling Trinamool Congress.
CPI(M)'s Sujan Chakraborty was the first MLA to raise objection over the alleged "discrimination".
"Although the Assembly was closed on Saturday, tickets for the ongoing Under-17 FIFA World Cup were distributed from the office of Trinamool Congress chief whip Nirmal Ghosh to his party MLAs. The legislators of Opposition parties were not aware of it," Chakraborty said.
There should have been a proper system so that all MLAs got tickets, he said, adding the development was "unprecedented and against the norms of Parliamentary democracy".
Chakraborty had also written a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday complaining about the "discrimination".
Congress chief whip Manoj Chakraborty also expressed disappointment over the matter.
"We didn't receive any match ticket. The TMC is busy distributing tickets among its MLAs, we don't figure in their list," he said.
Refuting the allegations, TMC chief whip Nirmal Ghosh told PTI, "The sports minister handed over tickets to the ones who asked for it. We can give tickets only when someone asks for it."
Assembly speaker Biman Banerjee, however, today assured tickets to all MLAs. "There has been some confusion over ticket distribution for the first match. But from the next match, all MLAs will be getting tickets," he said.
The strength of the state Assembly is 294.
The Congress, which is the main Opposition party, has 44 MLAs and the ruling TMC has 211 members. The CPI(M)-led Left Front has 32 MLAs, while the BJP has three.