Trinamul Congress MP Sisir Adhikari removed as DSDA chairman

Biswabrata Goswami

Hummingbird News 

MIDNAPORE, 12 JAN: Veteran Trinamul Congress leader Sisir Adhikari has been removed from the post of chairman of Digha Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA) by the state government today.

A notification has been issued by the state government reconstituting the DSDA. TMC MLA Akhil Giri has been appointed to the post.

The development assumes significance in the wake of Mr. Adhikari’s son and former Bengal Minister Suvendu Adhikari severing his ties with the TMC and joining the BJP. Sisir Adhikari, MP from Purba Medinipur Kanthi Lok Sabha constituency, however, remains with the TMC. His younger son Dibyendu Adhikari is also a TMC MP from Tamluk constituency in the same district.

A few days ago, the TMC removed Soumendu Adhikari, another member of the Adhikari family, from the post of chairman of board of administrators of Contai Municipality. Following the footsteps of his brother, Mr. Soumendu Adhikari also joined the BJP.

The removal of the veteran Trinamul leader from the post indicates his departure from the State’s ruling party is only a matter of time.

Administrators of Egra and Tamluk Municipalities, who were considered close to the Adhikari family, have also been removed from their posts.

"He did not do anything as the chairman of the DSDA. So he has been removed," Giri told reporters on Tuesday.

Adhikari is at present the district president of the TMC in Purba Medinipur.

Adhikari, however, remained unfazed with the development. "They can do whatever they want. I am not bothered," he said.

Following the development, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said that the decision by West Bengal’s governning party reflected its end in near future.

“TMC’s destruction has already begun and the party itself is doing that with this kind of decision,” the former Bengal BJP president Sinha said.

He asked Sisir Adhikari to follow the footsteps of his sons Suvendu and Soumendu and join the saffron camp. “BJP’s door is open to all. This is not a private limited company. It is people’s party,” he said.

TMC, on the other hand, tried to play down the speculations that Sisir Adhikari would soon switch over to BJP. The West Bengal’s governning party said that it was just a regular replacement, as it happens in any other department from time to time.