Jolt for Trinamool as Anubrata Mondal's deputy in Birbhum quits

Kolkata, Dec 27 (IANS) Trinamool Congress, on Tuesday afternoon, received a major jolt in its stronghold of Birbhum district in West Bengal, when Biplob Ojha, the party's district vice-president and deputy to Anubrata Mondal, announced his decision to quit the party.

The development has come as a shocker for the state's ruling party in the district as Anubrata Mondal is already in the midst of crisis desperately trying to escape Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s move to take the latter to New Delhi for questioning him in connection to the multi- crore cattle smuggling in the state.

Ojha, on Tuesday afternoon also announced his decision to resign as a member of the Birbhum Zilla Parishad, the highest tier in the three- tier panchayat system in the state. Speculation is rife that he might be joining BJP at a public meeting in Nalhati, which will be attended by the leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.

"I hereby announce my decision to sever all my ties with Trinamool Congress. There are so many reasons behind my decision. I have been neglected by the party leadership all throughout. They stopped informing me about the crucial party meetings. At a time, I felt that I have become a burden for the party and hence I took my decision," he told the mediapersons on Tuesday.

Ojha, always known as a close confidant of Anubrata Mondal, had held important positions in the party at the district- level starting from block president to chairman of Nalhati Municipality in the district. He joined the Trinamool Congress after the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, when the winds of change in the political regime of West Bengal became stronger.

However, despite repeated queries, Ojha refused to make any comment on his future course of action.