Suvendu Adhikari resigns from Trinamool's primary membership

Kolkata, Dec 17 (IANS) Former West Bengal Minister Subhendu Adhikari on Thursday resigned from the primary membership of the Trinamool Congress.Adhikari tendered his resignation addressing an official letter to Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee."I am writing to tender my resignation as a member of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) as well as from all other positions held by me in the party and its associate organs with immediate effect. I'm thankful for all the challenges and opportunities that have been afforded to me and I will always value my time spent as a member of the party," Adhikari wrote in the letter.Adhikari has already resigned from the state legislative assembly on Wednesday evening. He went to the assembly building and submitted a hand-written letter at the secretariat as speaker Biman Banerjee was not present in his office.Earlier, Adhikari had tendered his resignation as minister from the Mamata Banerjee-led state cabinet last month, on November 27. He had also left the chairperson's post of the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioner's (HRBC) two days before that.Sources said that Adhikari was unhappy with organizational decisions taken by Abhishek Banerjee and political strategist Prashant Kishor. Adhikari and Banerjee were even seen taking potshots indirectly at each other without taking names at recent public meetings in the past.Speculations were also rife if Suvendu would join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the crucial state Assembly polls scheduled in 2021. The state BJP leaders had repeatedly said that they would welcome Adhikari if he wants to join the saffron brigade in Bengal.
--IANS sbn/in