Team News Riveting
New Delhi, July 22
Opposition’s Vice-Presidential candidate Margaret Alva on Friday hit at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party Trinamool Congress (TMC) over its decision to abstain from voting.
“The TMC’s decision to abstain from voting in the VP election is disappointing. This isn’t the time for ‘whataboutery’, ego or anger. This is the time for courage, leadership & unity. I believe, @MamataOfficial, who is the epitome of courage, will stand with the opposition,” Alva said in a tweet.
The reaction came a day after the TMC announced it would abstain from the ensuing Vice-Presidential election, as it does not agree with the way the Opposition candidate was decided without keeping the party in the loop. “The way the name of Margaret Alva, the Opposition candidate, was decided, Trinamul feels the decision was not democratic…. More so, given how we -– despite having a total strength of 35 members in both Houses of Parliament -– were not consulted before the announcement,” national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said.
The Vice-Presidential election is scheduled on August 6.
The Left and the Congress castigated the TMC and Mamata Banerjee alleging a secret entente between the BJP and Trinamool.