Trinamool Congress MPs in huddle over possible separate grouping

New Delhi: Amid rumblings within the Trinamool Congress, a group of its MPs met here on Monday to discuss their future strategy of a possible breakaway from the party.

Those present at the meeting included Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, who resigned from the party and stepped down as a member of the Rajya Sabha on Monday, and Trinamool Lok Sabha MPs Prasun Banerjee, Sharmila Sarkar, Jagadish Chandra Basunia, Kalipada Saren Kherwal and Arup Chakraborty.

Speaking to the media, Ray said he met Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and submitted his resignation.


"I have conveyed my decision to resign from the party to Mamata Banerjee through WhatsApp and email," Ray said.

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The developments follow 60 Trinamool MLAs forming a separate group in the West Bengal Assembly, with Ritabrata Banerjee assuming the charge of leader of opposition instead of Mamata Banerjee's nominee.

"Whatever happened in the Assembly, can anyone tell whether a similar situation would not unfold in the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha?" Ray said.

Ray, however, said his resignation from the Rajya Sabha and the party was different from what happened in the state Assembly as the MLAs there have not resigned.

"There is no link between their step and mine. It is completely separate. I have resigned from the party, they have not. My tenure in the Rajya Sabha was to end in 2029 but I resigned as a matter of principle because it would have become difficult for me to continue," Ray said.

Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and party MP Abhishek Banerjee are presently attending an INDIA bloc meeting here that stressed unity within the alliance and called for the need to safeguard democratic values and address issues related to people's livelihood.

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Other than the two Trinamool leaders, those present at the meeting included Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, Omar Abdullah of the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP, besides Left leaders.