KALYANI/KOLKATA: Six Trinamool Congress MLAs and four-time MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar on Tuesday attended an administrative meeting convened by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in an apparent act of defiance, as the party's post-election haemorrhage showed no signs of abating. The development coincided with TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy striking a discordant note regarding the May 4 change of guard in the state, when the Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power. "Before the Ides of May, the people of West Bengal put an end to an unbearable, anarchical situation," Roy posted on X.
Continued Defiance and Criticism
The turmoil continued later in the day as two TMC MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, held a closed-door "courtesy" meeting in the chamber of Rathindra Bose, the assembly Speaker from the BJP. The open defiance and public criticism come in the wake of a series of resignations across Bengal, with 127 TMC councillors from 11 civic bodies having quit so far and party boards in six municipalities dissolved.
Ghosh Dastidar's Presence Draws Attention
However, what drew the most attention on Tuesday was Ghosh Dastidar's presence at the Chief Minister's meeting in Nadia's Kalyani, near Kolkata. "The administration is for everyone; it is not a party programme," said Ghosh Dastidar, who was recently removed as the party's chief whip in the Lok Sabha. She also blamed the leadership's reliance on poll consultant I-PAC for TMC's drubbing in the elections.
Adhikari acknowledged Ghosh Dastidar's gesture. "When we were in opposition, we were never invited to administrative meetings. We decided that lawmakers should be invited, and the Barasat MP responded positively," Adhikari said. The TMC MLAs at the meeting included Anisur Rahman, Burhan-ul-Mukddin, Bina Mondal, Surajit Mitra, Usharani Mondal, and Abdul Matin. All maintained they were merely attending an administrative event. The meeting covered 57 assembly segments, 50 of which were won by the BJP.
Mamata Banerjee's Efforts to Stem the Tide
Sensing the shift in allegiance, TMC chief and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has met senior party leaders several times recently. On Tuesday, one Kolkata Municipal Corporation member, TMC's Tarak Singh, refused to attend a meeting called by her, further underscoring the growing dissent within the party ranks.
