Senior CPI(M) leader Pratikur Rahman joins TMC
KOLKATA, Feb 21: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Nagen Roy alias Ananta Maharaj, a leader of the Rajbangshi community, was on Saturday felicitated at the International Language Day function in the city attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Maharaj, whose relationship with the saffron party has been under strain in recent months, was felicitated by Banerjee as he took a seat on the podium, accompanied by senior ministers and TMC leaders Aroop Biswas and Indranil Sen.
Offering him an ‘uttariya’ and a plaque, Banerjee said, “We are honoured and privileged with your presence. Stay happy and be careful about your health.” Her programme was not political; she was attending an event observing International Mother Language Day as the chief minister.
Raising speculations over his next political move, Maharaj later told reporters: “The Centre had only been discriminating and neglecting our community, which had joined the Indian republic with so much hope and expectations. Our region has been subjected to neglect by successive central governments, including the present one, for years.” When reminded that he is part of the ruling party at that Centre, he shot back: “Can’t I talk about the development of India? Are we not part of the country?” Elections to West Bengal’s 294-member assembly are due in a few months.
CPI-(M) LEADER JOINS TMC
Senior CPI(M) leader Pratikur Rahaman, who resigned from the party on February 16, on Saturday joined West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress, prompting the Marxist organisation to expel him.He defected to the TMC in the presence of Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, against whom he had contested in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.Rahman told reporters at the Amtala office of Banerjee that he felt suffocated within the Marxist party.
“I only want to fight the onslaught of the BJP’s fascism, and believe that only the TMC has the ability to face the challenge of the Hindutva forces who want to divide people,” said Rahman, who was a state committee member of the CPI(M).
Welcoming Rahman into the party fold, Banerjee said that Proikur wanted to join TMC to work for the poor and for the organisation, and there had been no deal between him and the Trinamool for getting nomination for the assembly polls.“I have seen Protikur for a long time; he had even contested against me in 2024. But he is among those young Turks in the Marxist party who are dynamic, principled and have the will to fight against the real danger the country is facing. Our fight is against the BJP,” he said. (PTI)
