New Delhi, Feb 12: Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi on Friday resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat just a couple of months before the assembly polls in West Bengal, saying he is feeling suffocated in the party which is “no longer in hands of” its supremo Mamata Banejee.
His resignation came two days after he had endorsed Prime Minister Modi’s speech in Lok Sabha in which he called for a key role of the private sector.
Trivedi, who represented West Bengal in Rajya Sabha for the third time and was a former railway minister, announced his resignation in the house during a debate on the Union Budget, saying he cannot speak about the violence in his state.
He handed over his resignation to Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and it has been accepted. He explained to Naidu that he resigned of his own will and there is no pressure on him to do so.
Minutes after his resignation, BJP general secretary and party’s West Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya said Trivedi is welcome in the party. Assembly elections in West Bengal are due in April-May.
Talking to reporters after submitting his resignation, Trivedi said,”TMC is no longer in Mamata Banerjee’s hands. It has been taken over by a corporate professional, who doesn’t understand politics. And there is no forum within party to air our views.” Trivedi further said he was daily asked to abuse the prime minister and that is not his value system.
Speculation is rife that Trivedi, who basically hails from Gujarat, is likely to join the BJP and may be given a Rajya Sabha seat. Interestingly, two seats in the upper house from Gujarat are also lying vacant which are going to polls next month. (PTI)
