Kolkata, June 18: Separate sitting arrangement have been made within the floor of the West Bengal Assembly for the two blocs of Trinamool Congress’ Legislative Party, the first being the rebel and majority bloc led by expelled Party Legislature led by official Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, and the other minority block with continued allegiance towards party supremo Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, which is led by Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, who is currently the seniormost MLA in the House.
The same sitting arrangements have been made in two separate rooms within the West Bengal Assembly for the two blocs, confirmed legislator from minority bloc, Kunal Ghosh. At present, the total number of Trinamool Congress Legislatures in the state Assembly is 80. Of them 60 are officially in the rebel bloc, though earlier this week Ritabrata Banerjee claimed that the figure had increased to 64.
On Thursday, as the Budget session of the House started, a total of 58 legislators from the rebel bloc were present at the House, while a total of 17 legislators from the original bloc were present. Speaking to the media persons, Kunal Ghosh said that he and other MLAs from the original bloc, had already spoken to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shankar Ghosh for time allotment for speech on any subject within the floor of the House.
“The Chief Minister and the State Parliamentary Affairs Minister have assured separate time allotment for us. Under no circumstance we will approach Ritabrata Banerjee for time allotment for us,” Kunal Ghosh said. Political observers feel that the current situation in the Opposition bench of the West Bengal Assembly is quite intriguing and at the same time rare.
“Both the blocs are officially from Trinamool Congress and the MLAs from both the blocs are officially Trinamool Congress legislatures. Yet these two blocs will perform like two separate political forces,” a city-based political observer said.
IANS
