The ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal on Friday expelled disgruntled MLA Baishali Dalmiya from the party for anti-party activities, sources said.
The Bally legislator has been publicly speaking against a section of the TMC leadership.
She had also claimed that there is no place for “honest and sincere people in the party”.
In a statement, the TMC said that its disciplinary committee met on Friday and decided to expel Dalmiya from the party.
Her expulsion came hours after senior TMC leader Rajib Banerjee resigned from the Mamata Banerjee cabinet, joining the growing list of dissenters who have put the ruling camp in a tight spot ahead of the assembly election.
Dalmiya criticised the party leadership for Banerjee’s resignation as well.
“Corrupt people are calling the shots in Howrah district. There is no place for the honest ones,” she said.
Days ago in an interview with NDTV, Dalmiya had expressed strong views against the party.
“I have complaints against some people who are working against the party, against the people and against the community I serve. I have reservations against them. There are people in my area who are not allowing business to flourish in Howrah. There are people who are trying to create hurdles for MLAs, MPs and other leaders of the party,” she said on Tuesday.
“I want these termites - I call them termites - to be eradicated so that it is good for the community, it is good for the common people, it is good for senior workers of the party who have given their blood and sweat for the party but do not get any position in the party just because of these few people,” Dalmiya added.
The TMC received its biggest jolt last month, during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in Midnapore, when party heavyweight Adhikari and 34 other leaders, including five MLAs and an MP of the ruling camp, switched over to the BJP.
Since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when the BJP bagged 18 seats, just four less than the ruling TMC, and emerged as its challenger in Bengal, a TMC MP, 15 TMC MLAs, three legislators of the CPI(M) and four belonging to the Congress have switched over to the saffron camp.
However, none of them resigned as MLAs.
Elections to the 294-member assembly are likely to be held in April-May this year.
