Lok Sabha elections 2024: Veteran TMC leader Tapas Roy quits party ahead of polls
File photo of Tapas Roy.
Veteran Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Tapas Roy resigned from the party on Sunday (Mar 3) just months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in India, the news agency PTI reported. Roy, 67, an MLA from West Bengal's Baranagar said he quit as he felt he was not respected in the party. Roy submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee and said he had already put in his papers on March 1 for the multiple party and state government positions he held.
Speaking to reporters outside his residence, Roy criticised the TMC leadership for not standing by him when his house was raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January.
Roy hits out at Mamata Banerjee
He said that TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee "stood in the assembly and said that the ED was targeting Shajahan Sheikh. I was expecting her to speak a word or two about the raids at my place which devastated my family. But not a word was spoken."
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"I have reasons to believe that a section of my party leaders were responsible for orchestrating the ED operation at my residence. I was devastated to know that some of them were rejoicing when my house was being raided and my family members were suffering deep trauma," he added.
The 67-year-old further expressed gratitude for opposition party leaders who reached out to him during the raids. "Fifty-two days have passed since the raids, yet I haven’t received a single phone call from the supreme leader (Mamata Banerjee) offering her reassurance,” he further said.
Roy resigned despite TMC leaders rushing to his residence on Monday morning in their last-ditch effort to pacify and dissuade him from carrying out his decision to resign, PTI reported.
TMC dismisses Roy's allegations
The TMC dismissed Roy's allegations as baseless, and said that the 67-year-old was exerting “undue pressure for a ticket” from the North Kolkata seat for the upcoming elections.
The TMC also questioned the timing of his resignation and pointed out his history of shifting party allegiance.
“For quite some time, Roy was making baseless allegations against party leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay. He was trying to exert pressure by using several undue means. He was trying to blackmail the party for a ticket from the North Kolkata seat. Now, he may join the BJP,” senior TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee.
Speaking to PTI, TMC sources said that the party got in touch with Roy just two days after the ED raids.
(With inputs from agencies)