TMC MLA Dipak Halder quits party

Amid ongoing exodus from TMC ahead of the assembly polls, TMC MLA Dipak Halder has resigned from the party's primary membership. Haldar lashed out at the party leadership for not allowing him to work for the masses.

Kolkata: Two-time TMC MLA from Diamond Harbour Dipak Halder on Monday tendered his resignation from the party's primary membership ahead of assembly elections. Halder sent his resignation letter to party president Subrata Bakshi and South 24 Parganas district president Subhashis Chakraborty via courier service.

However, he will continue as MLA from Diamond Harbour and has not announced anything about his next political move.

The minister lashed out at the party, alleging that he was not allowed to work for the people for the past four years. Halder also took to social media to express my displeasure and stated that he has not been invited to any of the party events.

Haldar, however, remained tight-lipped on joining the saffron camp.

"I am a two-time MLA. But, since 2017, I am not allowed to work properly for the masses. Despite informing the leadership, no action was taken to improve the situation. I am not informed about any party programme. I am answerable to the people of my constituency and supporters," the disgruntled leader said.

"So I have decided to quit the party. I will send my resignation to the district and state president soon," he said.

For the last few months, Haldar has been speaking against the party leadership. Haldar, considered to be a close associate of BJP leader Sovan Chatterjee, since his days in the TMC, recently met the latter at his residence in South Kolkata.

The TMC leadership declined to comment on the matter. In 2015, Haldar was suspended from the party after he was arrested for his alleged involvement in a clash between rival factions of the party's students' front in a district's college.

Later he was out on bail and was reinstated in the party. Since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when the BJP bagged 18 seats, just four less than the ruling TMC and emerged as its main challenger in Bengal, 17 MLAs of the Trinamool Congress, one TMC MP, three belonging to the Congress the CPI(M) each and one from CPI have crossed over to the saffron camp.

However, except for the former state cabinet ministers Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee, none of them resigned as MLAs. Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly are likely to be held in April-May this year.

With PTI inputs