Kolkata (West Bengal) [India] June 21 (ANI): Amid the ongoing rebellion within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), party leader Kunal Ghosh on Sunday alleged that expelled Entally MLA Sandipan Saha had used Rs 25 lakh from the party's election account for his campaign during the elections and demanded that rebel legislators return the funds drawn from the account.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said the rebel MLAs had won elections on the TMC symbol and with financial support from the party, while now seeking a probe into the same account.
"Rebel MLA Sandipan Saha spent a total of over Rs 27 lakh during the election, out of which Rs 25 lakh was taken from that account. They became MLAs for the first time on the party's symbol and its funds, and today, they are seeking a probe into the very same account. They should immediately return the money to the Election Commission," Ghosh said.
He further termed the rebel legislators "backstabbers" and alleged that their actions were part of a conspiracy orchestrated by political opponents.
"According to the law, if illegal money is used for any election purpose, then that election stands illegitimate. This is a conspiracy, and these backstabbers are working as per the advice of the opponents," he added.
The remarks come amid an escalating dispute within the TMC over the party's finances and leadership.
Earlier, speaking to ANI, rebel TMC MLA and Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee, defended the demand for a probe into the party's funds and questioned the source of money being used by the organisation.
"Actually, the MLAs have almost no information about this. A complaint has been lodged to investigate the source of these funds--whether it is 'cut money,' siphoned government funds, or proceeds from scams. All of this needs to be probed. We wouldn't be able to prove it ourselves. That is why we filed an FIR; if the government investigates, the truth will come out," Banerjee told ANI.
He also alleged misuse of party resources and questioned expenditure on chartered flights.
"Crucially, this money shouldn't be used this way--the charter flight to Delhi costs Rs 4 to 4.5 crore just for the round trip. Yet, the party has no funds for common workers fighting legal battles. We have stated in the FIR that there must be an investigation and that these transactions should be halted immediately," he said.
Meanwhile, former TMC treasurer Aroop Biswas has sought an immediate freeze on the operation of the party's bank accounts, citing an ongoing dispute over the authority and control of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).
In a letter dated June 12 addressed to the manager of an HDFC Bank branch in Kolkata, Biswas, identifying himself as the treasurer of the party, requested the bank to maintain status quo and refrain from permitting debit transactions or changes in operational mandates related to the party's accounts until the matter is resolved by the competent authority.
The rebellion within the TMC intensified after 58 of the party's 80 MLAs revolted against the leadership and formed a separate faction. The rebel group subsequently backed Ritabrata Banerjee to replace Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. (ANI)
