Bengal minister resigns from Mamata Banerjee cabinet, TMC says it won't impact party

In yet another jolt for the TMCdispensation, West Bengal forest minister Rajib Banerjee quitthe Mamata Banerjee cabinet, joining the growing list ofdissenters who have put the ruling camp in a tight spot aheadof the assembly elections.

The TMC, however, asserted that Banerjee's move wouldhave no impact on the party.

Banerjee, while talking to reporters, said he wasforced to take this decision after being publicly humiliatedby a section of the party's leaders for airing his grievancesover their style of functioning.

He, however, declined to comment when asked if heplans to quit the party in the days to come.

''I had grievances against some of the party's seniormembers and informed the leadership about it. I also had aword with party supremo, but nothing happened. Instead, I waspersonally attacked by a section of leaders.

''I was hurt by the personal attacks. Hence, I resignedfrom the state cabinet,'' he said.

In his letter to the chief minister, however, the TMCMLA did not cite any reason for quitting the cabinet.

''It has been a great honour and privilege to serve thepeople of West Bengal. I heartily convey my gratitude forgetting this opportunity,'' he said in the letter.

The Domjur MLA also met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar atRaj Bhavan after submitting his resignation, and held ameeting with him for an hour.

''Shri Rajib Banerjee, Minister for Forest Affairs@MamataOfficial called on me and handed over a letter ofresignation from the Council of Ministers. He was indicatedthat steps by the constitution would be taken,'' Dhankhartweeted.

Incidentally, Banerjee had skipped the last fivecabinet meetings, amid murmurs that he was trying to distancehimself from the party leadership.

Sharing his resignation letter on Facebook, Banerjeesaid that he hopes that he will be able to continue to workfor the people of the state in the days to come.

''I hope that in the years to come I will be able to beat each of your services in the best way possible as that hasbeen the sole reason I am into politics,'' he said in his post.

The TMC leadership, for the past one month, heldseveral rounds of dialogue with Banerjee to address hisgrievances. State parliamentary affairs minister ParthaChatterjee and the party's poll strategist Prashant Kishor hadmet the leader and tried to pacify him.

The Domjur MLA features in the list of TMC legislatorswho have expressed discontentment over the state of affairs inthe Mamata Banerjee camp.

Barring Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who quit his cabinet postciting apolitical reasons, most of them, including Banerjee'sformer cabinet colleague Suvendu Adhikari, have switched overto the BJP.

Reacting to the development, senior TMC Leader and MPSougata Roy said if he had problems, he should have brought itup for discussion during cabinet meetings.

''We tried to address his grievances, but it seems hewas adamant. He might have some other plans... it is for himto decide,'' Roy said.

Echoing him, senior TMC leader and minister Arup Roy,known to be a detractor of Banerjee in Howrah district, saidhe had apprehended that something like this would happen.

''When the TMC was formed in 1998, neither Laxmi RatanShukla nor Rajib Banerjee was in the party. I always knew sucha situation was in the offing. People like him leaving theparty hardly matters,'' he said.

Coming out in support of Banerjee, dissident TMC MLABaishali Dalmiya said ''honest and sincere people have no placein the party.

''Corrupt people are calling the shots in Howrahdistrict. There is no place for the honest ones,'' he said.

An elated BJP said the ''beginning of the end of theTMC has already begun'', and the party would disintegrate soon.

''It is only a matter of time before the TMCdisintegrates. If he (Banerjee) wants to join us, we will lookinto it,'' state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.

BJP national general secretary and the party's Bengalminder Kailash Vijayvargiya lauded Banerjee over his move.

''Rajib Banerjee ji is a good leader and a successfulminister. Honest and good people have no place in a partylike the TMC,'' he said.

Vijayvargiya, however, refused to say anything whenasked if Banerjee would join the saffron camp.

The TMC received its biggest jolt last month, duringUnion Home Minister Amit Shah's rally in Midnapore, when partyheavyweight Adhikari and 34 other leaders, including five MLAsand an MP of the ruling camp, switched over to the BJP.

Since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when the BJP bagged 18seats, just four less than the ruling TMC, and emerged as itschallenger in Bengal, a TMC MP, 15 TMC MLAs, three legislatorsof the CPI(M) and four belonging to the Congress have switchedover to the saffron camp.

However, none of them resigned as MLAs.

Elections to the 294-member assembly are likely to beheld in April-May this year.