Udayan Guha does not clear air on rumours of joining TMC
Amid speculation that he may join the Trinamool Congress (TMC), senior Forward Bloc leader and MLA Udayan Guha said on Sunday that he may consider “retiring” from active politics. This comes days after he resigned from all the party posts due to “discontent” against the State leadership.
“The current situation is as such that it will be better if I retire from active politics,” Mr. Guha told The Hindu . Asked whether he will leave the Forward Bloc, he avoided a direct reply. Mr. Guha, an MLA from Dinhata in Cooch Behar district, said that he has sought suggestions from his followers.
Mr. Guha is the son of veteran Forward Bloc leader late Kamal Guha who was an eight time MLA from the Dinhata constituency.
Interestingly, the Forward Bloc leadership did not deny that there was friction between Mr. Guha and the State leadership. “It is our internal matter and is being discussed in the party. I am hopeful that the issue will be resolved through discussion,” Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas told The Hindu .
On Sunday, Mr. Guha held a meeting with his followers at Dinhata to get their views on his future course of action. He said that he did not announce any decision to leave Forward Bloc or to join TMC. “I have not announced any decision in the meeting. I just informed my supporters why the situation (in Forward Bloc) has taken a turn for the worst,” added Mr. Guha.
As for the speculation about him joining the TMC, he neither denied nor confirmed it. “Only those who are saying such things know the basis of their claims,” said Mr. Guha.
The buzz about him joining the TMC reached its peak last Thursday when he resigned from the posts of State Committee member and Cooch Behar district secretary and publicly praised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Hinting that the party leadership is apprehending that Mr. Guha may leave Forward Bloc, a senior leader said: “We are hopeful that he will not make the mistake of joining any other party.”
He also said that that Mr. Guha’s resignation from the party posts has not yet been accepted by the State leadership.
According to party sources, it is yet to be confirmed whether Mr. Guha will attend a meeting with the State leadership next week. “He had been informed about the meeting. But we are not sure whether he will attend it,” a party insider said.
Had quit from party posts due to “discontent” against the State leadership
