Team News Riveting
Kolkata, May 1
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday suspended its General Secretary Kunal Ghosh for sharing a stage with a BJP Lok Sabha candidate.
The action came hours after Ghosh shared the stage with BJP’s Calcutta North candidate Tapas Ray and called him a “true mass leader”. Ray, a four-term TMC MLA, joined the BJP in March after Mamata Banerjee’s party re-nominated incumbent MP Sudip Bandopadhyay in the Calcutta North seat.
The BJP then fielded Ray against Bandopadhyay. At the programme, Ghosh said, “Tapas Ray is a true leader. His doors are always open for party workers and people. I have known him for several decades. Unfortunately, our paths are now different… I am hopeful that the elections will be free and fair, and that no unscrupulous means will be used to retain the seat. Let the people cast their votes freely.”
In a statement, TMC said: “Kunal Ghosh has been expressing views that don’t align with the party. Mr Ghosh was previously relieved from his role as party spokesperson. Now he has been removed from the position of general secretary of the state organization.”
Ghosh however decline to spell out his next move. He however said he would like to “continue in the party in future.” The former TMC Rajya Sabha member said he had already expressed his desire to resign as party spokesperson and state general secretary in March.
The party then accepted his resignation as spokesperson but asked him to continue with the other post.
