Denied LS ticket, another sitting Trinamool MP turns rebel

Kolkata, March 14 (IANS) After Arjun Singh, another sitting Trinamool Congress MP has turned rebel after being denied a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections by the party leadership. 

Sunil Kumar Mondal, the sitting Trinamool MP from the Bardhaman-East constituency, on Thursday expressed his displeasure over the party not renominating him for the Lok Sabha polls.

Instead, the Trinamool has fielded Sharmila Sarkar, a practising doctor and a fresher in politics, as the party nominee from Bardhaman-East this time.

Mondal claimed that a section of the district leadership of the party misled the top Trinamool leadership against him, which cost him a chance to get renominated.

“The district president, and an influential member of the state Cabinet from the district wanted me to blindly follow their orders, which was not possible for me,” he said.

He also claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee often praises leaders who mislead and at times even backstab her.

On Sharmila Sarka, Mondal said that he is not aware of what kind of experience she has in public service.

“She is a fresher (in politics). I don't know how she will strike a chord with the district leadership of the party,” Mondal said.

Since the Trinamool announced its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday, there has been a wave of infighting in the party.

First, Trinamool state General Secretary and actress-turned-politician Sayantika Banerjee resigned from her party post. After that, the sitting Lok Sabha member from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh, turned rebel after being denied renomination, stating that he would join the BJP in Delhi on Friday.

There are also talks that the sitting MP from Tamluk, Dibyendu Adhikari, might join the BJP on Friday. Adhikari, the younger brother of Suvendu Adhikari, BJP's leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, was denied a ticket by the Trinamool.