The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal on Friday expelled disgruntled MLA Baishali Dalmiya from the party for anti-party activities, sources said. The legislator from Bally said she felt relieved by the decision of the TMC leadership but asserted that her expulsion proved that "rotten elements" are calling the shots in the party.
Dalmiya, who has been publicly speaking against a section of the TMC leadership, maintained suspense over whether she will join the BJP. She had earlier also claimed that there is no place for "honest and sincere people in the party".
In a statement, the TMC said that its disciplinary committee met on Friday and decided to expel Dalmiya from the party. "Indiscipline won't be tolerated and stern action would be taken against those leaders who are trying to publically harass the party," it said.
Her expulsion came hours after senior TMC leader Rajib Banerjee resigned from the Mamata Banerjee cabinet, joining the growing list of dissenters who have put the ruling camp in a tight spot ahead of the assembly election. "The decision to expel me shows that rotten elements are calling the shots in the party. I am answerable to the people of my constituency. If I can't work for them, if I can't speak for them, there is no use being part of such a party," Dalmiya told reporters.
"I had spoken out against the corruption of a section of leaders after the cyclone Amphan," she said. Protests were held in various parts of West Bengal over alleged lapses in the distribution of monetary compensation to those whose houses were damaged in the cyclone that ravaged the state in May last year.
A section of the victims and opposition parties had alleged that many TMC leaders and their relatives received compensation though their houses were not damaged in the cyclone. When asked whether she would join the BJP in the days to come, Dalmiya said, "Let's see, only time will say (about it)." The state BJP leadership said if Dalmiya wants to join the party, it would be looked into.
The daughter of late cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya made her poll debut as TMC candidate in 2016 from the Bally assembly seat. The TMC Howrah district chief and minister Arup Roy, known to be a detractor of Dalmiya, said that the party did the right thing by expelling her.
"More the people like her leave the party, the better.No one is above the party discipline. She would have never been an MLA had the TMC and Mamata Banerjee not supported her," he said.
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