Adhikari quit TMC to join BJP but did not resign as MP. In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sisir Adhikari has sought a month’s time to clear the air about his current political affiliation.
Adhikari, the father of Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP had shared the stage with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at an election rally of the saffron party before the state Assembly elections.
Sources on Tuesday said the former Union minister wrote to Birla after receiving a letter from him on the matter. The TMC has urged the Speaker to disqualify Adhikari and TMC MP Sunil Mondal under the anti-defection law. He sought more time citing his ailing health, the sources added.
Meanwhile, Mondal has reportedly told Birla that he is still with the TMC. The development came a day after he claimed that he was still a member of the ruling party in Bengal and would continue to remain a party member. Mondal had joined the BJP in Shah’s presence at an election rally along with Suvendu on December 19.
The MP told reporters that there was a misunderstanding with the TMC leadership, and claimed he did not officially join the BJP.
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