Kolkata, May 19 Demands for the immediate expulsion of Jahangir Khan, the Trinamool Congress candidate for the Falta Assembly constituency, which is going for re-polling on May 21, surfaced at the internal meeting of the newly elected Trinamool Congress legislators on Tuesday afternoon, which was chaired by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The party’s general secretary and Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee, was also present at the meeting.
The demand for Khan’s expulsion from the party surfaced at the internal meeting, amid his press conference earlier in the day, in which he announced his withdrawal from the contest in the re-polling on Thursday.
At the press conference, he also thanked the new Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, for announcing a special package for Falta.
Jahangir did not clarify whether there was any directive from party leader Abhishek Banerjee or the top leadership of the Trinamool Congress behind this decision.
However, the Trinamool Congress has categorically stated that this decision is Jahangir’s personal call, not a party directive.
Insiders attending the internal meeting of party legislators on Tuesday afternoon said that the demand for immediate expulsion was mainly raised by three party legislators, namely Kunal Ghosh from the Beliaghata Assembly constituency in North Kolkata, Sandipan Saha from the Entally Assembly constituency, also in North Kolkata, and Ritabrata Banerjee from the Uluberia (Purba) constituency in Kolkata-adjacent Howrah district.
These three-party legislators reportedly also raised demands for a freer atmosphere within the party to discuss various issues, especially the internal grievances of party legislators regarding the party's functioning.
The Trinamool Congress ended its tally in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly polls at 80.
Although all 80 new legislators were asked to attend the internal meeting chaired by Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday afternoon, 15 legislators remained absent.
This, according to political observers, is the first reflection of the brewing grievances among party legislators against the top leadership.
Already, after the landslide defeat of the Trinamool Congress in the recently concluded Assembly polls, several leaders have started openly criticising the party leadership for the electoral debacle.
Now, the grievances are also being felt among the elected party legislators.
--IANS
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