Suvendu Adhikari meets TMC rebel MP
New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari met the 20 rebel TMC Lok Sabha MPs for the last two days amid reports that some were weighing the option to return to the mother party led by Mamata Banerjee.
Speculations on differences within the breakaway faction came to light when three MPs, Khalilur Rahman, Abu Taher Khan and Yusuf Pathan, did not attend the weekly meeting of NDA MPs in Parliament. Sources said the three MPs will not get re-elected since their areas are Muslim-dominated. If the three walk back to the Mamata-led TMC, the anti-defection law will kick in for the rebels since the TMC had 29 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 20 had joined NCPI, making it over two-thirds.
The 20 MPs had joined the lesser-known National Citizens Party of India(NCPI). Meeting them at Banga Bhavan with Bhupender Yadav and Nishikant Dubey, Chief Minister Suvendu tried to address their grievances.
A senior TMC MP belonging to Mamata Banerjee's camp, Shougata Roy, claimed before the media that the three Muslim MPs found the BJP ideology indigestible and wanted to return to Mamata Banerjee's fold. When these three MPs were questioned by the media as to why they were not attending the NDA parliamentary party meetings, the answer from the MPs was diplomatic and loaded.
Chief Minister later told reporters that " I just met all the 20 MPs over lunch and will address their issues. Some have administrative issues in their areas, some need MPLAD funds; we have assured them that we will iron out these issues".
BJP sources said two more TMC MPs, besides the rebels, also attended the meeting. Chief Minister also met Speaker Om Birla to discuss the rebel issue and held a separate meeting with BJP West Bengal President Samik Bhattacharya.
