Ghosh also challenged Bandyopadhyay’s claim that he was a member of the parliamentary committee on public undertakings, saying Lok Sabha records did not list him as a member. He called Bandyopadhyay a “turncoat, betrayer and traitor” and alleged that he had won on an anti-BJP mandate but had now become a “BJP stooge”.
Congress leader Ashoke Bhattacharya dismissed the rebels as opportunists. “Some went with the Ritabrata Banerjee faction and some went to BJP through NCPI. There is no point in speaking about these people as this is nothing but wasting time,” he said.
The political uncertainty has also been accompanied by signs of internal friction among the 20 MPs. A controversy over tickets for the India-Brazil exhibition football match in Kolkata has reportedly caused tensions in their WhatsApp group.
According to reports, 20 VIP tickets intended for the MPs were sent to a female NCPI leader. The tickets were initially kept at her Southern Avenue residence in Kolkata and later moved to her home in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas. The MPs were reportedly then asked to collect their tickets from Madhyamgram, triggering resentment.
The dispute allegedly turned heated, with the leader reportedly telling protesting MPs, “I am not anyone’s father’s servant.” Three MPs, including an actress, are said to have subsequently left the WhatsApp group, while another senior actress-MP had reportedly left earlier.
However, the MPs have played down the controversy. MP Rachana Banerjee said, “No, no, nothing of that sort happened. The group’s name is occasionally changed for our convenience.” Satabdi Roy similarly said, “It was deleted by mistake. A new group has been created, and everyone is in it.”
Bandyopadhyay also claimed he was unaware of any serious dispute. “I know nothing about this. The state government sent me tickets separately. No one informed us about any issues regarding the tickets. I only got a vague idea about it through the 24 Parganas connection,” he said.
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