Crisis in Trinamool: Banasri Maity becomes fourth MLA to leave party in 48 hours; Jitendra Tiwari ‘won’t join’ BJP

KOLKATA: TMC MLA Banasri Maity resigned from the party’s primary membership on Friday — the fourth such exit in the past 48 hours.

The two-time MLA from Bengal’s Kanthi Uttar constituency said she has sent her resignation to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee over email, triggering speculations that the legislator might join the long list of ruling party leaders who have either joined the BJP or have plans to do so soon.

“I do hereby tender my resignation from the primary membership of the All India Trinamool Congress as well as from each and every post or assignment given to me in connection with my membership of the party,” Maity said in her letter.

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The senior TMC leader from East Midnapore district is a loyalist of former TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, whose exit from the party prompted other leaders to follow suit.

Barrackpore MLA Silbhadra Dutta severed ties with the party on Friday morning.

Former minister Shyamaprasad Mukherjee, too, has announced that he would leave the TMC and join the BJP.

Banerjee Friday night termed the deserters as “baggage” for the party and said it is good that rotten elements are leaving on their own.

Banerjee held an internal meeting with a select group of leaders at her residence to take stock of the situation.

According to party sources, Banerjee told TMC leaders not to be “worried about the desertions” as the people of the state are with them.

“Our party supremo during the meeting told us not to be worried about the desertions as it is good that the rotten elements are leaving the party on their own. She said deserters were baggage for the party,” a senior TMC leader said on condition of anonymity after the closed-door meet.

The meeting, which began at 7 pm, continued till 9.30 pm.