Not known for submitting to blackmailing, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is preparing to take her party’s rebel bulls by their horns.
None of the sitting MPs of the Trinamool Congress who had showed slightest of dissent in the past years is likely to find a re-nomination in the coming lok Sabha elections, sources close to the Trinamool supremo say.
On Banerjee’s hit list are Diamond Harbour MP Somen Mitra, Nadia MPs, Tapas Paul and Sucharu Haldar, Birbhum MP Shatabdi Roy and her North 24 Parganas counterpart Govind Nashkar.
Banerjee is also intensely watching the conducts of former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi who had already revolted against her in 2012 before losing his job to firm Mamata loyalist Mukul Roy — but later mended fences with the party chief — and former Union Minister and veteran leader Saugato Roy.
If Kalighat (Banerjee’s residence) sources are to go by then these two leaders might as well get the axe for their “suspicious ways.”
In fact, despite Roy’s outright denial of having hobnobbed with the top Congress leadership including Ahmed Patel the Trinamool leadership is unwilling to buy his affirmation on a host of grounds.
In fact, rebel party MP Kunal Ghosh’s revelations that Roy and Trivedi were a few days ago seen together with Ahmed Patel in a tea-party has not gone down well with the Trinamool leadership. Ghosh also said that Somen Mitra was also present in the meeting.
The leaders met at the residence of Trivedi who however was not available for comment. Roy in his part denied such reports. When contacted Mitra said he would explain everything in the party meeting scheduled for September 30.
“We are keeping close watch on the movements of some leaders” who were trying to run with the hare and hunt with the hound, said a senior Trinamool leader adding “traitors would be shown the doors” and it would be taken care of in the elections.
“The people of Bengal have supported Mamata Banerjee whole-heartedly and they will never forgive those who betray her. These so-called leaders who are not even worth a menial job and owe their political ascendance solely to the Chief Minister will go down in the history as Mirzafars. Their political future and the future of the party that take them is bleak in Bengal” said Bengal Minister Jyotipriya Mullick.
According to sources the Congress was in touch with some TMC MPs who could be switching sides sometime in January.