In a double whammy for Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, party MLA Jitendra Tiwari on Thursday resigned from the post of chairman of the administrative board of the Asansol Municipal Corporation. He has also resigned as the TMC president of Paschim Bardhaman district. Earlier on Wednesday, TMC MLA Rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Suvendu Adhikari tendered his resignation from the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
"Within one hour of leaving the post of administrator, my office was ransacked on instructions from Kolkata. Now it is not possible for me to stay with them. I have resigned from the post of district chief of the party," TMC MLA Tiwari said.
“I have resigned from the post of the chairman of the Board of Administrators of Asansol Municipal Corporation. If I am not allowed to work, what will I do with the post? So, I have resigned," Tiwari told reporters.
Adhikari, the MLA of Nandigram constituency in the Purba Medinipur district, had resigned from the state cabinet in November. He has been maintaining distance with the party leadership for quite some time. Adhikari is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during Union Home Minister Amit Shah's proposed visit to Bengal this week, sources close to him said.
Tiwari was seen with Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday evening.
"Suvendu Adhikari told me that he's going to join BJP. I, however, am supposed to meet Didi (Mamata Banerjee). I will meet her and tell her what I have to say," Tiwari said."I went to Sunil Mandal's today as his mother has passed away. By chance, I met Suvendu Adhikari there, who was also visiting the family. There were only courtesy talks and no political discussions. He has confirmed that he will join the BJP," Tiwari said while speaking to ANI.