Days After Quitting WB Cabinet, Rajib Banerjee Departs From TMC

The development came hours after Rajib Banerjee resigned from the post of MLA in the West Bengal Assembly on Friday.

Former West Bengal Forest Minister Rajib Banerjee.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

Trinamool Congress heavyweight Rajib Banerjee on Friday, 29 January, resigned from the party. In his resignation letter, Banerjee wrote, “I am thankful for all the challenges and opportunities that has been afforded to me and I will always value my time spent as a member of the party.”

The development came hours after Banerjee resigned from the post of MLA in the West Bengal Assembly on Friday.

“I have resigned as MLA of the State Assembly. I submitted my resignation letter to the Speaker. I thank my party supremo Mamata Banerjee for providing me the opportunity to serve the masses,” said Rajib, according to PTI.

The TMC leader from Domjur, Howrah district, had exited from Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet as the Forest Minister on 22 January, becoming the third minister to resign from the state in just the last month.

According to PTI, Banerjee, after resigning, had also said that he “was hurt when I was personally attacked, hence quit forest minister's post.”

Banerjee is widely acknowledged as the second-most important leader in the party after Suvendu Adhikari, who defected from TMC and joined the BJP on 19 December.

His resignation comes as another setback to CM Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, which has seen multiple exits ahead of the state Assembly polls, led by former party heavyweight Adhikari. The latter was followed by a number of party functionaries, and since his exit, a number of prominent TMC leaders have resigned from the party.

The BJP is hoping to turn it into an opportunity for them to make gains in the state, in light of the upcoming State assembly elections.