Disgruntled Trinamool heavy weight minister Suvendu Adhikari resigns; TMC hopeful of his continuation in party

Adhikari, an MLA from Nandigram Assembly constituency, has also surrendered the Z category security accorded to him, which further fanned rumours that he might leave TMC.

In the past two to three months, Adhikari has been holding public meetings albeit without the party banner. In these meetings, he has made no secret of his discontent with the party. He has been also speaking openly about the elements within TMC, who have been criticising his family (his father Sisir Adhikari is a veteran TMC man and a party MP and his brother Soumen is the chairman of the Kanthi municipal corporation).

Reportedly, he is also peeved by the attempts to cut him to size and reduce his clout, apparently over his disapproval of growing influence and the increased organisational power being given to Mamata Banerjee's nephew and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee.

"I did not arrive by a parachute, or ascended my way up in a lift. I have risen up the party ranks with sheer hard work, climbing the stairs, step-by-step," he had said making a veiled attack on Abhishek Banerjee in a public meeting in October last.

TMC veteran Sougata Roy who has been assigned with the responsibility of wooing back the disgruntled leader said Adhikari has told him he will not leave the party, which keeps the avenues of negotiation with him open.

"Party has given me the responsibility to talk to him. I have been asked to reach out to him as long as he doesn't resign from the party membership. Of course, if he resigns there will be no question of talking to him. As long as he is within the party, he is a TMC MLA, there will be hope, I will continue to reach out to him. He has spoken to me twice, so can't endorse claims that we have been unsuccessful," said Roy.

Questions are being raised as to why Suvendu Adhikari tendered his resignation despite concerted efforts by the party. It is being said TMC leadership failed to approve his demands and there was no adequate redressal of his grievances.

However, Sougata Roy said Adhikari resigned before Mamata Banerjee could come back to Kolkata and discuss his demands.

"The party cannot respond to any demand immediately. We had communicated his grievances and demands to our leader Mamata Banerjee though she was in Bankura. But his resignation came before she could return and the party could hold a meeting and take a decision," Roy said.

Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari has said he has resigned as the West Bengal Transport Minister and the Chairman of the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC) as he was being criticised for holding several positions, media reports said.

"Today at 1:05 pm a resignation letter of Mr. Suvendu Adhikari from office as minister addressed to Hon’ble Chief Minister has been forwarded to me. The issue will be addressed from a constitutional perspective," Dhankhar wrote in a Twitter post.

Suvendu Adhikari, 49, was at forefront in Trinamool's struggle at Nandigram in 2007 and wrested it from the Left. Nandigram, and Singur, helped Trinamool unseat the 34-year-old Left rule in Bengal in 2011.