TMC declines turncoat MP Sunil Mondal's feelers, says party has already moved for his disqualification

The Trinamool Congress Wednesday virtually ruled out the possibility of reinducting turncoat TMC MP Sunil Mondal, who had switched over to the BJP last year, and said the party has already moved for annulment of his membership under the anti-defection law. Mondal, who joined the BJP in December last year along with Suvendu Adhikari, said on Tuesday that he was not “feeling comfortable” in his new party as promises made to him were not kept, triggering speculations about his future political move. Senior TMC leader and spokesperson Sougata Roy said such comments wouldn’t yield results as the party has already moved representation to end his membership. “Such comments won’t yield any results. Before Assembly polls, despite being a two-time TMC MP and three years of his tenure left, he switched over to the BJP. He never had any problem or grievances with the party. “We spoke to him and tried to reason out with him. But he was then adamant about leaving the party and joining the saffron camp,” Roy said. “He joined hands with Suvendu Adhikari. Now such comments that he is feeling uncomfortable won’t yield any results,” he said. Mondal on Tuesday said that though he had made every effort to ensure BJP’s victory in the district, there was a trust deficit within the party on those who had switched over from the TMC. “BJP doesn’t believe those who joined from TMC. Even my belief about the organisational strength of the BJP has been belied. I am not feeling comfortable here,” he said. Mondal joined the BJP along with Suvendu Adhikari at a rally of Home Minister Amit Shah in Medinipur in December last year. “Suvendu did not keep his promise of working together. He did not keep in touch with me. I don’t have any contact with him now,” he claimed. With these comments, Mondal joined a long list of leaders who switched over to the BJP ahead of the assembly elections and started sending feelers to their former party TMC after the poll results were declared. BJP’s national vice-president Mukul Roy went back to the TMC a few days ago. Following his homecoming, many other TMC defectors to the saffron party seeing the overwhelming victory of Mamata Banerjee’s party in the state polls are working for similar return to the parent party. The TMC has recently moved Lok Sabha seeking disqualification of Sisir Adhikari and Sunil Mondal, who was elected MPs on TMC ticket but joined the BJP just ahead of the assembly polls. While Sisir Adhikari had won from Kanthi Lok Sabha seat in Bengal, Mondal was re-elected from Bardhaman Purba Parliamentary constituency.