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Satabdi Roy, who has been associated with Banerjee since 2009, said the Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee had changed significantly in recent years.
TMC Rebellion Deepens as Satabdi Roy Alleges Corruption, Isolation
The crisis within the Trinamool Congress deepened further on Tuesday as actor-turned-politician and four-time MP Satabdi Roy publicly criticised the party leadership and explained why she chose to break ranks.
After senior leaders Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar voiced their dissatisfaction, Satabdi Roy became the latest prominent Trinamool leader to raise concerns about the functioning of the party led by Mamata Banerjee.
Satabdi Roy, who has been associated with Banerjee since 2009, said the Trinamool chief had changed significantly in recent years.
“Didi badal gayi thi,” she told NDTV. “She changed a lot in the past few years. I have an emotional connection with her, but what matters to me is the work, and hence I have taken this decision,” she added.
Role in rebel camp
Roy was chosen as the deputy leader of a group of around a dozen Trinamool MPs who recently met BJP leaders and offered support to the NDA, formally signalling their intention to part ways with the party.
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who has been appointed chief whip of the rebel group, claimed that the number of dissident MPs had risen to 20.
The developments come amid growing unrest within the party following a series of public criticisms from leaders who have questioned the functioning of the organisation and its leadership structure.
‘Our voices were unheard’
Explaining her decision, Roy said one of the biggest reasons behind the revolt was the inability of many leaders to access the party leadership.
According to her, only a select group of leaders participated in decision-making while many others were sidelined. “I am leaving the party because our voices were unheard. I want to work for the people. But no one heard us. Only selective people had access to Mamata Banerjee,” she said.
Sources in the rebel camp echoed similar concerns. They claimed that even ministers in the state government often ignored requests from MPs and failed to give them time.
According to the dissidents, leaders were not consulted before major decisions were taken. They also alleged that whenever they attempted to raise concerns during the past few years, they were asked to remain silent.
Questions over timing
Roy also responded to criticism from those questioning why leaders had remained silent while the party was in power and were speaking out only now.
“It is because things are becoming clear now. We saw what happened when the Trinamool was in power. I understand the situation now, but I have to do it for the people of my constituency,” she said.
Her remarks reflect a broader argument being made by several dissident leaders who claim that internal issues accumulated over the years and have now become impossible to ignore.
Corruption allegations raised
Roy also repeated allegations of corruption that have been made by several Trinamool leaders in recent days. “There is a lot of corruption in the Trinamool. I was very disappointed to see the kind of corruption that was happening from a lower level to the higher level,” she said.
The MP added that she did not require political protection to preserve her reputation. “My image is already clean,” she said. Her comments add to the mounting criticism facing the Trinamool leadership as dissatisfaction within the party continues to spill into the public domain.
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