Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sudip Banerjee on Monday asked the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari to take care of the 25 missing BJP MLAs first before thinking about anti-defection law. Speaking to ANI, Banerjee said, “Anti Defection Law is not the subject of an individual. It has to pass through both the houses of the Parliament and then to the Assembly. If the opposition leader from the BJP wants to bring a new rule he can ask the central government. They are there in power.”
Banerjee also raised questions over the 25 BJP MLAs who were missing in the party’s meeting on Monday.
“Where are the 25 missing MLAs. First talk about issuing anti Laws against them. He (Suvendu Adhikari) needs to take care of his MLAs now, then talk about others,” added Banerjee.
On Suvendu’s father Sishir Adhikari, Banerjee said, “I had spoken with Loka Sabha Speaker Om Birla ji on June 2 requesting him to initiate a process of seizing memberships of Sisir Adhikari and Sunil Mondal. I made a follow-up call today and he said that a committee will be set up and both MPs will be called. I will also be called for my opinion.”
Earlier on Monday, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari held a meeting with BLP MLAs in the assembly. Following this, 50 BJP MLAs headed by Adhikari handed over a memorandum to West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
“50 MLAs of Opposition including Suvendu Adhikari have handed over a memorandum to me, attracting my attention towards four points including anti-defection law and incidents of Tiljala and Chandan Nagar,” said West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The development comes days after former BJP national vice president Mukul Roy and his son Subhranshu Roy joined the TMC on Friday. Further, another BJP MLA Rajib Banerjee met with Trinamool Congress’s state general secretary Kunal Ghosh at the latter’s residence here on Saturday. The BJP lost the polls but emerged as the second-largest party with 77 seats in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly. Trinamool Congress registered a landslide victory winning 213 seats.