In a fresh jolt to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s brother Soumendu Adhikari joined the saffron party along with 14 TMC councillors of Contai Municipality. Soumendu Adhikari was chairman of the Municipality but he was removed from the post after Suvendu Adhikari had joined BJP in presence of Amit Shah. Few days ago, TMC MP and Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee had taunted Suvendu Adhikari of failing to defect his brother and father to BJP from TMC.
While addressing the gathering, Suvendu Adhikari said, “We will win this battle and form the next government in West Bengal. We will move forward with PM Narendra Modi’s ideals and accomplish the people’s dream of the ‘sonar Bengal’.
Miffed by the exit of Suvendu Adhikari, Mamata Banerjee led government in West Bengal had recently removed his brother Soumendu Adhikari from the post of Chairperson of Contai Municipality and replaced him with Siddhartha Maity. The decision was taken by Urban Development & Municipal Affairs ministry led by Firhad Hakim, who is a close aide of CM Mamata Banerjee. Calling his brother’s removal a “vindictive move”, Suvendu said: “Soumendu has a long political career ahead of him. He has worked hard all these years … and the same goes for the other councillors. The Adhikari family is no longer with the party of Pishi-Bhaipo (TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and nephew Abhishek Banerjee).
Abhishek Banerjee and poll strategist Prasanth Kishore have been working as a team to the ensure victory of TMC in the upcoming West Bengal legislative assembly elections. But this duo’s emergence as a power centre has eventually resulted in the collapse of the party and local leaders deserting it.
