New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress despatched out a transparent message of help for its beleaguered MP Mahua Moitra Monday, by appointing her a district president in West Bengal — days after a parliamentary ethics panel really helpful her expulsion from Lok Sabha in a ‘cash-for-query’ case.
The TMC’s transfer to arm Moitra with a key organisational function is critical because the celebration had maintained a studied silence for almost a month — from the time allegations had been made in opposition to her to the ethics committee’s probe and subsequent report back to Speaker Om Birla final week.
West Bengal’s ruling celebration and a key constituent of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, the Trinamool had earlier stated it will take an “appropriate decision” solely after the conclusion of the ethics committee probe.
However barely 4 days after the panel adopted a report, recommending her expulsion for the rest of the seventeenth Lok Sabha, the TMC made Moitra the district president of Krishnanagar (Nadia North). Moitra had received the Krishnanagar constituency in 2019 by 65,404 votes, defeating BJP’s Kalyan Chaubey.
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The cost in opposition to Mahua
Moitra has been accused of accepting money and costly presents for asking questions in Parliament that had been important of billionaire businessman Gautam Adani. It was alleged by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey that she did so on the behest of Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani. Dubey additionally accused her of sharing her parliamentary login credentials with Hiranandani, permitting him to submit the questions straight on the portal. Dubey stated he had irrefutable info on this from Supreme Courtroom advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, a former companion of the TMC MP.
On Monday, Moitra thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the celebration management for her new function, saying she would “always work with the party for the people of Krishnanagar”.
Moitra was beforehand chosen the TMC’s Nadia district president in 2019 however was eliminated in a significant organisational rejig two years later. The celebration had then determined to nominate two presidents for Nadia, splitting it into two organisational zones — Krishnanagar (Nadia North), and Ranaghat (Nadia South).
Earlier than her election to the Lok Sabha in 2019, Moitra represented Nadia’s Karimpur constituency as MLA after profitable the seat within the 2016 state polls.
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TMC’s altering stance
Following the adoption of the committee report final Friday, Moitra had stated that the Trinamool management firmly stood by her. In a submit addressed to “Mr Adani” on X, the MP requested him to not waste time telling everybody that “Mahua’s ticket would be cut”. She introduced she would battle once more from Krishnanagar and double her margin.
The assertion got here a day after TMC nationwide basic secretary Abhishek Banerjee stated Moitra was sturdy sufficient to battle her personal battles. It was a far cry from the TMC’s preliminary stand when leaders stated they’d not wade into the controversy simply but.
Per week after the allegations had been made in mid-October, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh had instructed ThePrint, “We have nothing to say on the issue. The party has no reaction to offer.”
A day later, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien had instructed PTI, “Since the matter has to do with an elected MP, her rights and privileges, let the matter be investigated by the right forum of Parliament, after which the party leadership will take an appropriate decision.”
In the meantime, on Monday, the TMC eliminated jailed chief Anubrata Mondal from the submit of Birbhum district president. Mondal, who faces costs of cattle smuggling and cash laundering, is presently incarcerated in Tihar jail.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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