Meeting between Trinamool and Suvendu Adhikari inconclusive, another round again

KOLKATA: Talks between the ruling TMC and West Bengal minister Suvendu Adhikari, who has been maintaining a distance from the party and not attending meetings of the state cabinet, held on Monday remained inconclusive and more meetings are likely to take place soon, sources said.

Senior TMC MP Sougata Roy, who has been tasked with the job of holding talks with Adhikari, met the minister on Monday evening at a place in north Kolkata and held a nearly two-hour-long discussion, party sources said.

This is the second meeting between the two leaders in a week.

"It was an open-ended meeting. It was inconclusive, but there will be more rounds of talks very soon," a party source privy to the development said.

Both Roy and Adhikari, however, had remained tight- lipped about the meeting.

Amid speculations over his next move, Adhikari, who holds the portfolio of the transport department, had said on Thursday that he will not say anything controversial or unethical as long as he continues to be a member of a political party and the state cabinet.

The influential TMC leader had also said, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has neither sacked me nor have I left the party as of now.

TMC has opened back channel talks with Adhikari and is trying to address his grievances to retain him in the party.

Roy along with senior party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay has been assigned by the party to talk to him.

Adhikari apart from East Midnapore district, from where he hails, has influence in about 35-40 assembly constituencies of West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia and Jhargram districts which fall in the tribal Jangalmahal area and parts of Birbhum district.

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly are due in April-May next year.