Trinamool Congress (TMC) state minority cell secretary Ajmal Siddiqui announced his resignation from the party on Saturday, as an internal crisis continues to haunt Mamata Banerjee’s party.
Siddiqui said his decision was caused by the party's internal functioning and the influence of its leadership. He also accused TMC Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee of having a "dictatorial attitude".
Ajmal Siddiqui resigns from TMC
He said that the party brings “disrepute” and accused several leaders of being engaged in “unsavoury activities”.
“I returned from the Hajj pilgrimage just two days ago. Upon my return, I decided that this party brings nothing but disrepute; the majority of its members are involved in unsavoury activities--scandals keep surfacing, and more will likely emerge. Staying in this party felt very uncomfortable for us, and it wasn't doing any real work for the people,” he told news agency ANI.
Siddiqui blamed Abhishek Banerjee for the “collapse” of the party. “The party is collapsing today solely because of one man: Abhishek Banerjee. His dictatorial attitude and the oppression we faced--false cases filed against us 12 or 13 years ago, demands for money--were unbearable.”
{{/usCountry}}Siddiqui blamed Abhishek Banerjee for the “collapse” of the party. “The party is collapsing today solely because of one man: Abhishek Banerjee. His dictatorial attitude and the oppression we faced--false cases filed against us 12 or 13 years ago, demands for money--were unbearable.”
{{/usCountry}}Asked about his future political plans and whether he would consider joining the BJP, Siddiqui said his priority was the development of West Bengal.
"We haven't thought about that yet. Our only desire is to see development in Bengal--industries established and jobs provided to the poor," he said.
TMC crisis deepens
A month after losing power in West Bengal and just days after 58 rebel MLAs took control of its legislature party, the TMC is facing one of the biggest challenges in its history.
Since being voted out by the BJP after ruling the state for 15 consecutive years, the party has been hit by a series of setbacks.
One of the biggest blows came on Wednesday when Bengal speaker Rathindra Nath Bose recognised 58 rebel TMC legislators, led by MLA Raitabrata Banerjee, as the principal opposition group.
While the rebel legislators continue to accept Mamata Banerjee as their leader, they have openly rejected the authority of her nephew and political successor, Abhishek Banerjee.
The crisis became more visible on Friday when only eight non-rebel MLAs attended a meeting called by the party leadership at Mamata Banerjee's residence.
With inputs from agencies