TMC clips wings of Adhikari brothers

speculations are rife that transport minister could defect to the BJP

Biswabrata Goswmi

Hummingbird News     

MIDNAPORE, 22 AUG: With Trinamul Congress having recently clipped the wings of state transport minister Suvendu Adhikari and his brother Dibyendu Adhikari, an MP from Tamluk, at a party meeting at Trinamul Bhawan, speculations are rife that Suvendu could defect to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

At a time when Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is repeatedly warning of taking action against corrupt party leaders, the party has ‘surprisingly’ clipped the wings of Adhikari brothers.

The party has recently removed the state transport minister and the prime architect of Nandigram movement, Suvendu Adhikari from the official responsibility of the party’s State Government Employees’ Federation.

In a meeting held in the Trinamul Bhawan on Wednesday night, the party has dissolved the 41-member

committee and removed Adhikari from the chief mentor post. The meeting was attended by Partha Chattapadhyay and Subroto Boxi, a party source said. Apart from Adhikari, three other leaders who were conveners of the committee were also removed before dissolving the committee. Instead of them, the party has given responsibility to Dibyendu Ray to look after the organization, the party source said.

On the other hand, the party has also removed Dibyendu Adhikari, an elder brother of Suvendu and MP from Tamluk from the president post of the party affiliated Haldia Refinery Township Maintenance Workers’ Union. 

On 19 August, a general meeting of the party’s workers’ union was held. It is alleged that most of the workers voted against Dibyendu and they preferred to induct the former chairman of Haldia municipality Debaprasad Mondol as a working president of their orgainisation.

As per the decision of the majority workers, the party deputed Mondol as a working president of the organization, a party source said.

The decision comes at a time when the state BJP unit is eyeing many Trinamul Congress leaders to switch sides. Talks are being held at different levels by senior leaders of the party, with involvement of even central leaders.

The buzz in the political circles is that the list of possible ‘defectors’ includes Trinamul Congress strongman Suvendu Adhikary. A Trinamul Congress MLA from Moyna, Sangram Dolai has recently added fuel in the speculation speaking up over transport minister Suvendu Adhikari “not getting his due” in the party.