More and more Opposition citadels fell to an advancing Trinamool Congress even as the Bengal ruling outfit proceeded to literally delimitate the left and the Congress.
The Congress on Thursday suffered a huge blow when its West Midnapore district president Vikash Bhunia joined the Trinamool along with his supporters, that included the whole Sabang Panchayat Samiti.
The development assumes significance as the defecting leader is the brother of Manas Bhunia a former PCC president and a senior party MlA who is also the Public Accounts Committee Chairman, the post he allegedly accepted at the behest of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after defying PCC diktats.
Bhunia is currently at loggerheads with PCC president Adhir Chowdhury and Opposition leader Abdul Mannan. The reason, the Congress, which holds the place of the principal Opposition party had left the PAC for the CPI(M) but Bhunia queered the pitch and accepted the post offered to him by the Speaker.
Manas Bhunia expressed ignorance of floor-crossing and made a loaded statement saying “the current situation in the Congress is not very inspiring. I considered this party as my mother and even now I do so. But who knows what lies in the future.”
The PCC president reacted to the Thursday’s development saying “this was a foregone conclusion and we are prepared for more Bhunias (read Manas Bhunia) joining the Trinamool.”
When asked to comment TMC MP and Chief Minister’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee said “Development under Mamata Banerjee is drawing opposition workers to us.” When asked to comment on the rising incidents of criminal charges slapped on the opposition forcing them to join the Trinamool he said “I will not comment on that as I am not a man of administration or legal system.”
The TMC drew more blood up in North Bengal causing 15 left members and two of the Congress, from the Jalpaiguri Sadar panchayat samiti to join it. “We have joined the party to strengthen Mamata Banerjee’s hands” one of the members said.
Uphill in neighbouring Darjeeling a senior Gorkha Janmukti Morcha member and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration vice president Bhupendra Pradhan joined the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday.
In Siliguri a strong left citadel until now a left councilor crossed over to the Trinamool Congress while down south at Diamond Harbour a panchayat samiti fell to the Trinamool hands when majority of its members joined the ruling outfit.
Back home in Kolkata a Forward Bloc councilor Rehana Khan also joined the Trinamool Congress in the name of development.
In the wake of Thursday’s development at least 10 municipal boards including two district boards fell to the Trinamool in the past one month or so causing the Opposition outfits to cry “poaching with the help of money, muscle and police power.” CPI(M)’s Suryakanto Mishra said “this forced conversion will lead to serious repercussions as by devouring Opposition leaders the ruling party is leaving no forum for protest”.