BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday confirmed that his brother and TMC rebel leader Soumendu Adhikari, who was recently removed from the post of administrator at Contai Municipality, will be joining the BJP with more than 5,000 party leaders and workers.
According to the reports, Suvendu Adhikari, during a meeting in Purba Medinipur, confirmed that his brother Soumendu Adhikari along with a few councillors and 5,000 TMC workers will switch over to the saffron party on Thursday. He also asserted that Mamata Banerjee-led TMC will disintegrate soon.
Suvendu Adhikari, addressing his cadres said, “My younger brother Soumendu will join the BJP in Contai today. He will be accompanied by several councillors and 5,000 TMC grassroots workers. The TMC will steadily disintegrate.”
A week after Suvendu Adhikari joined BJP, Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal removed his brother Soumendu Adhikari from the post of Chairperson of Contai Municipality and replaced him with Siddhartha Maity. The decision was taken by Urban Development & Municipal Affairs ministry led by Firhad Hakim, who is a close aide of CM Mamata Banerjee.
It is interesting to note that just a few days ago, TMC MP and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee had taunted Suvendu for failing to shift his father and brothers from TMC to BJP. He had said, “you have failed to bloom the lotus in your own house. How can you make the lotus bloom in the entire state?” Suvendu Adhikari’s father and Kanthi MP Sisir Kumar Adhikari, his brother and Tamluk MP Dibyendu Adhikari, and Soumendu Adhikari are still leaders of TMC. However, now Soumendu will leave TMC and join BJP following his brother Suvendu.
Soumendu files petition in Calcutta HC challenging his removal
Earlier in the day, Soumendu Adhikari, the brother of BJP leader Suvendhu Adhikari, on Thursday, filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court challenging his removal from the post of administrator of Contai Municipality in Purba Medinipur district.
Soumendu Adhikari in his petition has said that he was illegally removed by the West Bengal government’s Municipal Affairs Department from the post of administrator of the civic body.
Adhikari was the chairman of Contai Municipality till the term of the board expired in 2019. He was then appointed as its administrator since elections were postponed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
On December 17, Suvendu Adhikari formally quit the Trinamool Congress and joined BJP in presence of Home Minister Amit Shah. Addressing his followers, Suvendhu Adhikari had written a letter blaming Mamata Banerjee for sidelining the party leaders and alleged that Mamata has betrayed the party ideals.
