The disciplinary committee of the Trinamul Congress on Thursday issued clear instructions to its leadership in districts to inform party leaders contesting forthcoming municipal polls as Independents that if they did not publicly declare their decision to opt out of the fray within 48 hours, they would face expulsion.
Following instructions from Trinamul chairperson Mamata Banerjee, who has taken no tolerance towards such indiscipline, the ultimatum was issued for the rebel candidates at 108 municipalities going to the polls of February 27. The leadership is going through a list of such candidates, said Trinamul’s national working committee member Partha Chatterjee, who is trying to dissuade them through dialogue and warning them of expulsion over anti-party activities.
“Those Independents who are known faces of Trinamul have been identified. They are contesting against Trinamul candidates simply to serve their own interests. For expulsion… their list is ready and the public announcements would be made when the time comes,” said Chatterjee, who heads the disciplinary committee.
“Starting this evening, the expulsions would begin,” he added.
Sources said the firm stand had already brought some success as 28 of 57 rebel candidates at 25 municipalities in North 24-Parganas had already pledged to do the needful.
These candidates are supposed to distribute leaflets telling the electorate they are withdrawing from the contest and that they would actively support and campaign for the party’s official nominees. The final date for the official withdrawal of candidature was February 12.
“In some cases, such as in Purulia and Nadia, where this same warning had been issued earlier and the 48-hour window closed, the expulsions have already begun,” said a source.
Mamata, who is likely to chair the inaugural meeting on Friday of the 20-member national working committee she formed on Saturday, has been showing signs of toughening her stand against indiscipline in the party.
At a meeting of newly elected Trinamul councillors of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation on December 23 last year, a senior Rajya Sabha member said, Mamata had publicly said she wouldn’t allow in three rebels who had won the polls and wanted to rejoin the party.