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TMC's Madan Mitra joins rebel camp, Mamata says people entering 'BJP's washing machine' for safety

From Hindustan Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Madan Mitra, a prominent Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator, has joined a rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee.
  • Mitra's move follows his wife and sons being summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with alleged corruption.
  • The rebel faction claims a majority of TMC lawmakers, while Mamata Banerjee criticizes those joining the BJP as seeking safety in a 'washing machine'.

Kamarhati legislator Madan Mitra, a long-time associate of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a founding member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), has defected to a rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee. This move occurred a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned his wife and two sons.

From this moment I resign from the national working committee, the post of chief whip in the assembly and the post of general secretary of Mamata Banerjee’s TMC. I was in the TMC and I remain there. I am only changing rooms.

— Madan MitraMitra announced his resignation from his positions within the TMC after joining the rebel faction.

Mitra announced his resignation from key party positions, including the national working committee and chief whip in the assembly. "From this moment I resign from the national working committee, the post of chief whip in the assembly and the post of general secretary of Mamata Banerjee’s TMC. I was in the TMC and I remain there. I am only changing rooms," Mitra stated after joining the rebel group.

He addressed the ED summons, saying, "My family has been summoned by a federal agency. My family will go and cooperate with the agency. But that is not linked to my joining (the rebels) today. Can the ED prove the allegations?" Mitra has a history of legal troubles, having been arrested in the Saradha chit fund case and the Narada sting operation.

My family has been summoned by a federal agency. My family will go and cooperate with the agency. But that is not linked to my joining (the rebels) today. Can the ED prove the allegations?

— Madan MitraMitra commented on the ED summons to his family, asserting it was unrelated to his decision to join the rebel group.

Ritabrata Banerjee welcomed Mitra, stating the rebel group's fight against "family-controlled politics" within the party has been strengthened. He criticized Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee's nephew and a key party figure, for allegedly ruining the party and being unable to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee alluded to those leaving the party as seeking refuge in the "BJP's washing machine," a reference to allegations of corruption against BJP leaders being cleansed.

Ours is a collective fight against family-controlled politics. Our collective effort got stronger today. Mitra is a veteran.

— Ritabrata BanerjeeThe leader of the rebel TMC faction welcomed Madan Mitra, highlighting the strengthened fight against perceived family control in the party.

The rebel faction claims to hold 60 of the TMC's original 80 lawmakers, though they have not publicly named all members. The Mamata faction currently has 20 lawmakers. Another leader, Birbhum district leader Anubrata Mondal, who recently joined the rebel group, also made serious allegations against Abhishek Banerjee.

It is indeed sad that when history will be written it will say that a party got ruined because of just one person.

— Madan MitraMitra blamed Abhishek Banerjee for the party's decline and inability to defeat the BJP.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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