Rebel Trinamul Congress MLA and Assembly chief whip Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay launched another torpedo on Sunday, alleging that chief minister Mamata Banerjee was “ringed” by a section of party leaders with “vested interests”. Echoing Singur MLA Rabindranath Bhattacharya’s tirade against the “syndicate-raj”, Mr Chattopadhyay made it clear though that he was not going to quit the party.
Mr Chattopadhyay’s latest salvo has further embarrassed the party top brass, that has started weighing the option of removing him from the chief whip’s post.
The name of Baranagar MLA Tapas Roy has cropped up as a possible replacement, party insiders said. The picture might get clearer on Monday when the Assembly winter session will be on in full swing.
Mr Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, speaking of his “anguish” at a meeting of Trinamul Congress’ trade union wing on the occasion of its foundation day, said: “The chief minister is always ‘ringed’ by some Trinamul leaders with vested interests. Some of them run syndicate business, while others take cut-money.”