Not allowed to work, will quit the party: two-time TMC MLA

KOLKATA: Amid ongoing exodus from TMC ahead of the assembly polls, two-time MLA from Diamond Harbour Dipak Haldar Monday lashed out at the party leadership for not allowing him to work for the masses, and said he would quit the party soon, fuelling speculations of his possible switchover to the BJP.

Haldar, however, remained tight-lipped on joining the saffron camp.

"I am a two-time MLA. But, since 2017, I am not allowed to work properly for the masses. Despite informing the leadership, no action was taken to improve the situation. I am not informed about any party programme. I am answerable to the people of my constituency and supporters.


"So I have decided to quit the party. I will send my resignation to the district and state president soon," he said.

For the last few months, Haldar has been speaking against the party leadership.

Haldar, considered to be a close associate of BJP leader Sovan Chatterjee, since his days in the TMC, recently met the latter at his residence in South Kolkata.

The TMC leadership declined to comment on the matter.

In 2015, Haldar was suspended from the party after he was arrested for his alleged involvement in a clash between rival factions of the party's students' front in a district's college.

Later he was out on bail and was reinstated in the party.

Since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when the BJP bagged 18 seats, just four less than the ruling TMC and emerged as its main challenger in Bengal, 17 MLAs of the Trinamool Congress, one TMC MP, three belonging to the Congress the CPI(M) each and one from CPI have crossed over to the saffron camp.

However, except for the former state cabinet ministers Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee, none of them resigned as MLAs.

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly are likely to be held in April-May this year.