Double Trouble For Mamata? Another Rebel Jitendra Tiwari Dumps TMC Ahead Of Amit Shah's Bengal Visit

The MLA from the west Burdhman constituency resigned from his primary membership of the party following the exit of rebel TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari.

Mamata Banerjee waves at her supporters as she arrives at Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri district. (Image: PTI)

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) suffered another blow within 24-hours on Thursday, after Jitendra Tiwari a TMC Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), left the party saying that he was not being allowed by the party to work for the people. The MLA from the west Burdhman constituency resigned from his primary membership of the party. Following the exit of rebel TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari who resigned from the party on Wednesday, Tiwari became the second leader to resign from the party within a span of 24 hours. “I have resigned from the post of the chairman of the Board of Administrators of Asansol Municipal Corporation. If I am not allowed to work, what will I do with the post? So, I resigned,” Tiwari was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI. “There is no point in continuing in the TMC as I am not being allowed to work for the people,” Tiwari alleged. Exit Comes Ahead Of Amit Shah’s Rally In The State The resignation of TMC leaders comes ahead of Amit Shah rally in the state, which is scheduled on Saturday, December 19. It is being speculated that the rebel MLA is set to join the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shah is scheduled to be on a two-day visit to West Bengal starting Saturday. Following The Footsteps Of Suvendu Adhikari Tiwari's exit from the party comes within 24-hours of Suvendu Adhikari's resignation. Adhikari, who was the face of the Nandigram movement that added to the political heft of Mamata Banerjee and catapulted her to power in West Bengal in 2011, submitted his resignation letter to the assembly secretary. He had resigned from the state cabinet last month. Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee has alleged that BJP leaders are trying to influence her party members to exit and join the “saffron camp”. West Bengal is due for assembly elections in 2021. The 294-seat state assembly is currently dominated by TMC with 219 seats. Mamata Banerjee became the CM of the state in 2011, after a landslide victory in which the party won 187 seats. BJP currently has 16 seats in the state assembly.