TMC labels Dinesh Trivedi as ‘ungrateful’ after resignation

The sudden resignation of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dinesh Trivedi from the Rajya Sabha on Friday drew a scathing response from the party which dubbed him as “ungrateful”.

While the TMC leadership tore into Trivedi, the BJP promptly announced that if Trivedi wanted to join the saffron party then he would be welcomed. The development comes at a time when the TMC is facing an exodus of leaders and party workers to the saffron party ahead of the Assembly elections.

Lashing out at Trivedi, TMC’s deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said that “ his actions show how ungrateful he is.”

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“He did not say anything for so many years but suddenly when the Assembly elections are around the corner he started to complain against the party. He has betrayed the trust of the people. Now he is showing his true colours,” said Roy.

Senior TMC MP in the Lok Sabha Sougata Roy accused Trivedi of “enjoying power” during their tenure but quit the party ahead of elections.

“He has not done the right thing by resigning ahead of the Assembly elections. He never raised any such grievances in the party. He could have raised it at a party forum. People like him enjoy power during their tenure and quit the party ahead of elections,” said Roy.

Read | Party was unaware if Trivedi had issues, his resignation not a setback: TMC spokesperson Vivek Gupta

Reacting to the development, State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said that if Trivedi wanted to join the BJP he would be welcomed.

“The beginning of the end of the TMC has begun. Mark my words, the TMC will disintegrate soon. We will welcome him (Trivedi) in the BJP if he wants to join the BJP,” said Ghosh.

BJP national secretary and co-observer in Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya described Trivedi as an “honest person” and said he “ suffocated” in a party like the TMC.

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According to sources in the TMC, Trivedi was distancing himself from the party for the last couple of months. A two time MP and former Railway Minister Trivedi was sent to the Rajya Sabha after he lost to BJP’s Arjun Singh in the last Lok Sabha elections.

Trivedi is the fourth senior TMC leader after Suvendu Adhikari, Rajib Banerjee and Laxmi Ratan Shukla to resign from his posts. While Adhikari and Banerjee eventually joined the BJP, Sukla resigned as Minister and expressed his desire to quit politics.