Trinamool expels MLA Baishali Dalmiya after she hits out over minister’s resignation

Hours after criticising the party leadership following the resignation of state minister Rajib Banerjee, the ruling Trinamool Congress expelled Baishali Dalmiya, a sitting MLA and daughter of departed former cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya. The decision to expel was taken by the party’s disciplinary committee after a meeting on Friday, sources in the Trinamool said.

Baishali joined the Trinamool shortly after her father’s death in 2016 and was given a ticket to contest the Assembly election from Bally in Howrah district.

Following Banerjee’s resignation as the forest minister earlier on Friday, Baishali hit out at a section of the ruling party, saying, “Rajib-da resigning as a minister is a big loss for the party and the people. Everyone has self-respect and no self-respecting person can tolerate insult. In Howrah, we have faced a lot of disrespect from a section of leaders. There are some backstabbers and silent killers among us who are forcing many of our ministers to resign from the cabinet.”

This isn’t the first time she struck a discordant note as earlier this month, she spoke against the party leadership after another sitting minister and former cricketer Laxmiratan Shukla stepped down.

Trinamool’s Howrah Town district chairman Arup Roy, defended the move to expel Baishali, saying, “It is the right decision. Those who speak against the party and malign its image should be dealt with in this manner.”