Former TMC MLA Udayan Guha Arrested; Speaker Om Birla Calls Abhishek Banerjee Over Rebel MPs Row
In a significant development, the police arrested Udayan Guha, the former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Dinhata, from the Phoolbagan area of Kolkata on Wednesday. Officials view this arrest as a major development in state politics. Udayan Guha’s arrest comes at a time when several significant events are unfolding within West Bengal’s political and legal spheres. This move has further heated up the state’s political atmosphere. Meanwhile, sources revealed that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has summoned Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee for a discussion on June 19. The meeting will focus on the 20 dissident TMC MPs and the party’s stance on the entire matter. This issue stems from the growing discontent within the TMC following the assembly elections. Twenty dissident MPs from the party had met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on June 14. During that meeting, the MPs submitted a letter informing him about the merger of their group with the Tripura-based Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCPI). They also requested separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha. According to sources, the Lok Sabha Speaker is currently reviewing the status of these 20 MPs. It is reported that he will make a final decision only after hearing all parties involved. Sources further indicated that the summons sent to Abhishek Banerjee follows a previously scheduled meeting that he was unable to attend. According to TMC sources, the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office had sent a meeting notification to Abhishek Banerjee via email on June 15 at 2 PM. There is now considerable interest in political circles regarding the upcoming June 19 meeting, as it could impact the ongoing internal dispute within the TMC and the future of the dissident MPs.
TMC in Freefall: Fake Signatures Scandal Triggers Expulsions as Mamata Left With Just 22 MLAs
The change of government in Bengal has led to a state of turmoil within the TMC. The current TMC is grappling with serious internal strife and political crisis. Following its crushing electoral defeat, widespread discontent has spread within the party regarding leadership, corruption, and ticket distribution. The party is now embroiled in a new controversy: the “fake signatures” controversy, which has sparked a deep internal crisis within the party. A major controversy has emerged within the party regarding the forged signatures of MLAs on a letter. Two rebel TMC MLAs, Sandipan Saha and Ritubrata Banerjee, have filed a complaint with the Assembly Secretariat, further compounding the party’s difficulties. In this case, the TMC has expelled two MLAs, including Sandipan Saha and Ritubrata Banerjee, citing anti-party activities. Abhishek Banerjee’s Controversial Letter Triggers Major Rebellion While the TMC won 80 seats in the Bengal elections, following the expulsion of MLA Ritubrata Banerjee from the party on June 1st and the rebellion of 58 other MLAs, Mamata Banerjee now has only 22 MLAs left. This clearly demonstrates Mamata Banerjee’s weakening grip on the party. Senior party leader and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, wrote a letter to the Assembly Speaker proposing Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition. The letter reportedly contained the signatures of 70 MLAs. Later, the BJP and Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, held a press conference and alleged that many of these signatures were forged. Minutes after Adhikari’s revelation, both MLAs, Sandipan Saha and Ritubrata Banerjee, filed a complaint with the Assembly Speaker, stating that they had not signed the letter proposing the Leader of the Opposition’s name and that their handwriting did not match. Following the public outcry, the TMC took swift action, immediately expelling both complainants on charges of anti-party activities. Amid the internal rebellion, Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday dissolved all state committees and frontal organizations with immediate effect.