Trinamool ‘rebel’ MPs at BJP minister’s home, Bengal Chief Minister too

If any of these plans are put into motion today, Mamata Banerjee would be suffering a massive setback during a visit to Delhi.

A Trinamool insider close to Mamata Banerjee, however, claimed that the rebel camp of MPs does not have 20 lawmakers.  And in that scenario, the insider said, the rebels would attract provisions of the anti-defection law.

Interestingly, Bengal Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, once Mamata Banerjee’s trusted lieutenant, is also in Delhi today. Sources have now said that several rebel MPs are now at Union Minister and BJP leader Bhupender Yadav’s residence and Adhikari has reached there too.

Trinamool MP quits party

Earlier today, Trinamool’s veteran leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy resigned from the party’s primary membership and as a member of the Upper House.

“In the recently held election to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, the people have given huge mandate in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the first time in the history of the state to put an end to 15-year anarchical rule of the Trinamool Congress arising out of widespread unbridled corruption, atrocities committed against women, abysmal failure in the field of health, education, industry, law and order, employment, etc. Meanwhile, the newly elected people’s government has started taking initiatives for overall development and reconstruction of West Bengal as per its Election Manifesto,” Roy said in a statement.

“In respectful acceptance of this historic verdict of the people, I have resigned today from the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) as a member and also from the primary membership of the All India Trinamool Congress,” he added.

Meanwhile, rebel Trinamool MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, who led the mutiny in the party’s legislative party, said he had not spoken to Roy. ” We respect what Sukhendu Shekhar Roy did, although I did not talk to him personally. What a section of MPs have felt, we MLAs have felt too,” he said.

Mamata’s damage control bid

In a desperate attempt to keep her house in order, Mamata Banerjee has effected a major organisational reshuffle. While Abhishek Banerjee continues to be the party’s national general secretary, two joint national secretaries – Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen – have been appointed. The move has been seen as Mamata Banerjee limiting her nephew’s say in organisational decisions.

A senior Trinamool MP said, “Mamata Banerjee already understood that the main discontent in the party’s rank and file is against Abhishek Banerjee. Already, during her organisation reshuffle, Mamata gave space to other senior MPs like Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen to assist Abhishek. She is desperate now to regain her footing in the party as well as credibility on the national stage.”