The recent string of resignations has triggered speculations that Mamata Banerjee has lost the numbers in the Assembly, owing to which the demand for the CM to prove the majority on the floor of the Legislative Assembly of the state has started rising amongst some opposition parties in Bengal.
According to a report by TOI, CPM parliamentary party leader Sujan Chakraborty questioned the Mamata Banerjee government in a joint press conference on Thursday: “There are political rallies and meetings. Then why are restrictions imposed only in the case of an Assembly session? Is the government scared to face the Assembly because they do not have the numbers? Chakraborty asked.
“If the government lacks a majority, then why is the chief minister making public announcements?” said the CPM leader furthering that his party has written asking her to take a floor test, and if she fails to fulfil the demands, then they would be left with no other option but to go to the CM’s office in Nabanna, said Chakraborty.
Putting forward similar demands, Congress leader Abdul Mannan said: “We are hearing that many people have left Trinamool Congress and people are confused. Has the govt lost the majority? If they have enough MLAs they should go for a floor test immediately to win the confidence of the people”, opined the Congress leader, as per the TOI report.
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh is certain about Mamata Banerjee not having the numbers
Certain that Mamata Banerjee has lost the majority in the house after many Trinamool leaders ditched her to join other political parties, BJP Bengal President Dilip Ghosh also opined that since Trinamool has lost the numbers they are shying away from an assembly session. “There are none in TMC. They know if they go for a floor test, they will be exposed. They will go for a vote-on-account in the budget session, said the BJP leader, furthering “let them test their strength in the Assembly, everything will be clear”.
Miffed by the mudslinging, TMC hit back at the opposition parties. Bengal minister of state for parliamentary affairs Tapas Roy said: “This again proves that CPM, Congress and BJP are hand in glove against the WB Government. They oppose not for a reason but because they have to do that, else they would lose their relevance. Let CPM and Congress first give their test of popularity and then they should demand things from us. We will prove our majority to people and not to them”, said the TMC leader.
Questioned on the issue, Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee said: “I have not seen any notice so far. I cannot make a comment unless I have gone through the notice”.
TMC loses 5 leaders, gets one back amid exodus
Recently, Mamata Banerjee endured a string of resignation with as many as 6 MLAs resigning within 72 hours. Basically, the resignation of senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari had a domino effect with many other members exiting the party. Fortunately, Mamata Banerjee managed a save when one of them. Jitendra Tiwari had declared he was back in the party. However, reports suggest that many other resignations are taking place at lower tiers of the party.
The string of resignations, which comes ahead of West Bengal polls in April-May 2021, might bring in a lot of trouble for the chief of the ruling dispensation in West Bengal, who is eyeing at a third consecutive term. The political sphere is rife with rumours that the exodus of these TMC senior leaders are ascribed to Mamata Banerjee’s affinity towards election strategist Prashant Kishore and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
