Speaker's Twist To Trinamool Resignation After 4 Quit Party In 24 Hours

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has lost half a dozen leaders, including two MLAs, as it bleeds rebels looking to cross over to the BJP ahead of polls four months away. MLAs Shilbhadra Dutta and Banasree Maiti quit today, making it four big exits in two days.

The Bengal assembly Speaker's refusal to accept the resignation of Suvendu Adhikari, who resigned yesterday, served to highlight the Trinamool's desperation.

Speaker Biman Banerjee asked Mr Adhikari to meet him on Monday, saying his resignation letter was not in order and he was not satisfied that it was "genuine and voluntary".

This was hours after the resignation of Shilbhadra Dutta, the lawmaker from Barrackpore. He is likely to join the BJP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who tours Bengal this weekend.

Mr Dutta had earlier this month openly resented what many rebels like him saw as "interference" by poll strategist Prashant Kishor in the choice of candidates for the state election.

"I think that I am unfit in the party in the present scenario," Mr Dutta told reporters after emailing his resignation to the Chief Minister.

Yesterday, soon after Mr Adhikari resigned, another MLA, Jitendra Tiwari, announced his.

Mr Tiwari's close associate Colonel Diptanshu Chowdhury also resigned as South Bengal State Transport Corporation and head of the state's grievance monitoring cell. He sent his letter to Mamata Banerjee as well as the governor yesterday. Col Chowdhury had joined the Trinamool from the BJP. The party's minority cell leader Kabirul Islam is another huge loss.

Soon after Suvendu Adhikari resigned, another MLA, Jitendra Tiwari, announced his resignation

Top Trinamool sources said after a meeting with the Chief Minister: "The party is not worried and absolutely confident about winning big in elections. We think that those who are leaving were anyway a liability and it is good that they are going on their own."

Many other resignations are taking place at lower tiers of the party. The back-to-back exits from Triamool came just ahead of Amit Shah's visit.

"The rate at which TMC MLAs are resigning, Pishi (aunt) must perhaps consider setting up a resignation collection center in her office...," sneered BJP's social media chief Amit Malviya in a tweet referring to Mamata Banerjee as "aunt".

Many of the rebels are expected to cross over to the BJP with much fanfare, in the presence of Amit Shah.

What is rapidly looking like an exodus is worrying for the Trinamool as it confronts the BJP's aggressive campaign to oust it from power in Bengal. It started with Mukul Roy, who was practically the Chief Minister's right-hand man when he quit and joined the BJP in 2017. Mr Roy, facing investigations in the Narada sting operation case and the Sharada ponzi scam, is seen to have played a big role in the BJP's impressive Bengal tally in last year's Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Adhikari, credited with crafting the Trinamool's victory in the 2016 state election, is a big catch for the BJP. Mr Adhikari is said to have control over local leaders in more than 50 seats in the western part of the state. Banasree Maiti, who quit this evening, is his close associate.

The Trinamool failed to placate Mr Adhikari. Senior leader Saugata Roy had Mr Adhikari meet Abhishek Banerjee and Prashant Kishor and termed the meeting a success. But the very next day, Mr Adhikari texted Mr Roy to say: "Excuse me, I cannot work like this anymore".

Another Trinamool leader, MP Sunil Mondal, is also believed to be on his way out.

Mamata Banerjee, at a recent rally in Cooch Behar, said: "Some people will come and go with the tide. But the real Trinamool is intact."

Amit Shah has set a target of 200 of the state's 294 seats for the assembly polls.