The fate of two Mamata Banerjee loyalists took different turns on Friday as the party stood behind one, albeit indirectly, but appeared to throw the other under the bus.

Krishnagar North MLA Mukul Roy, who won on a BJP ticket in the 2021 Assembly polls and has since been seen at several Trinamul platforms, survived the charge of defection as Speaker Biman Banerjee dismissed the petition filed by leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari for inadequate evidence.

“The nature of evidence that was expected, the quality and weight of evidence the petitioner could not provide. In the facts and circumstances of the case and in law I find the petitioner has not been able to establish the contentions under paragraph 21A of the tenth schedule. I dismiss the petition,” said Banerjee at the state Assembly on Friday afternoon. “He is in the BJP and is a BJP MLA.

Roy, who had parted ways with Mamata in 2017, returned to the party at the Trinamul Bhawan soon after last May’s election and has since been seen in several party events including the annual July 21 rally

On the other side, in for a rather raw deal, was party old-timer Madan Mitra who was servd with a showcause notice for making statements against party leaders.

The Mukul Roy case has dragged on since last July soon after Mamata made it clear that the former railway minister and first-time legislator Roy was her choice for the post chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). By then Roy, along with his son Subhrangshu, had held the Trinamul flag.

About a week ago, Trinamul’s all-India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had said, everyone was aware of what had happened. “People have seen what has happened (Mukul Roy case),” said Banerjee.

The BJP legislator Ambika Roy filed a case in the Calcutta High Court, after which the case went to the Supreme Court and is likely to come up for hearing on February 14.

“I am happy with the decision. I was in BJP, and I am in BJP,” Roy said after the Speaker’s verdict. Adhikari is yet to comment on the decision. Suvendu had earlier said, that the BJP was looking towards the Supreme Court’s verdict. “We do not have any expectation from the Speaker’s office. We will wait for the Supreme Court’s decision,” Suvendu had said.

While Roy was rejoicing at the decision which would help him continue as a legislator, Mitra was served a show-cause notice for his statements against Trinamul leaders in Kamarhati, his constituency, and the local MP Sougata Roy over distribution of tickets for the civic polls.

Some days ago, Subrata Bakshi, Trinamul’s state president, had issued instructions, that only Mamata’s photographs would be allowed on hoardings and banners.

Taking a dig at the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Mitra asked why not his pictures too? “He is a good-looking fellow. I have told the student and youth wings of our party in my area to use his pictures as well,” Mitra said in Durgapur.

Later on Thursday night, Mitra went live on the social networking site Facebook and said, “I was asked who is the most beautiful and purest person for me. I replied Mamata Banerjee and then Abhishek. I just blurted others are fat etc. I ask the party leadership to forgive me, I shouldn’t have said that."

After the show-cause, Mitra appeared defiant. “I have not done anything ever to harm the party’s interests. Yes, I have been to prison,” said Mitra, who was arrested earlier in connection with the Saradha scam and Narada bribery sting. “The party can form a commission. Let the people depose. If the people say I have done wrong, I will accept it.”

The unrest within the party over one-man, one-post issue and disenchantment over the candidates' list for the upcoming civic polls, would be discussed in an emergency meeting called by Mamata at her Kalighat residence on Saturday evening, after the polls to the four municipal corporations in Siliguri, Chandernagore, Asansol and Bidhannagar.

Trinamul mayor Firhad Hakim said on Friday that the party chief, Mamata Banerjee, did not approve of the one-man, one-post policy. “That is not her decision. All those who have made such posts are being asked to delete it,” said Hakim.