Suvendu Adhikari. (File)The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership has reportedly decided not to pursue its disgruntled MLA Suvendu Adhikari anymore after his text message to senior party leader Saugata Roy in which he had expressed his displeasure over “leaking” the details of his meeting with senior party leaders to media.
After TMC leaders told mediapersons on Tuesday night that the issues with Adhikari have been resolved in a meeting, the rebel MLA in a WhatsApp message to Roy reportedly wrote: “forgive me, it won’t be possible for me to continue”.
At a meeting with senior party leaders on late Wednesday night, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee told them to not “discuss” the issue anymore, sources told The Indian Express.
“Let’s not discuss him (Suvendu Adhikari) further. It’s time to concentrate on work, and I am sure people will once again repose their trust on us,” Mamata Banerjee told party leaders in the meeting, according to the party sources.
The TMC leadership, however, was “open to hearing him (Suvendu Adhikari) out, if he has something to say to the TMC chief”, they said.
According to sources, the party leadership sent Adhikari a message on Thursday morning stating that “the details of the meeting were disclosed after all the issues were discussed and resolved. Now if you have changed your stand, it is your decision”.
Senior TMC leader Saugata Roy, who was among those who held talks with Adhikari to resolve the differences, said, “If Suvendu Adhikari wants to say something, he is most welcome. But there is nothing from the TMC to comment further in this matter.”
The party is also mulling over the proposal of replacing Adhikari as the chief of the TMC Workers’ Federation.
Meanwhile, Adhikari on Thursday held a rally in Tamluk in Purba Medinipur district to mark the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Khudiram Bose. In his second public meeting since he resigned from the Cabinet, Adhikari said he would “continue to serve the people of Bengal as a son of Bengal and India”.
“The Constitution of our country speaks of government by the people, of the people and for the people. I am a son of Bengal and a son of India and will continue to serve the people of my state in that capacity,” Adhikari said.
Like his previous rallies in the recent past, there were no banners or flags of the party. His supporters, who call themselves Dadaar anugaami (Dada’s followers) were seen carrying the national flag at the event. Adhikari is called Dada (elder brother) by his supporters.
In Kolkata, when asked about the rifts in the party, Saugata Roy said, “There is a saying in English — ‘rats desert the sinking ships’. There are a few who think that TMC has become weak and therefore, they have started leaving the party. However, they don’t know that TMC is strong enough and we will once again form the government in Bengal. We all know the fate of the rats jumping in the sea.”
Now, all eyes are now on Adhikari’s press conference, which he is likely to hold at his hometown Kanthi on Sunday. Sources close to him said that Adhikari would spell out his future political move at the press meet, and he would not make any political statement before that.