Trinamool MP to quit party

In a major setback to it, senior Trinamool Congress MP Soumen Mitra has decided to quit the ruling party in West Bengal.

His announcement does not come as a surprise as speculation was rife over the past months about his leaving the Trinamool Congress in the wake of the suspension order issued by its leadership on his wife and party MLA Shikha Mitra.

“I have decided to quit the Trinamool Congress. I will also relinquish the post of MP. I do not want to cite any reasons now but will speak at an appropriate time,” he told journalists here on Friday.

“I do not have any grievance against [party chairperson] Mamata Banerjee,” he added.

There is a likelihood of Mr. Mitra rejoining his former party, the Congress, though he remained silent on the matter when asked.

Mr. Mitra joined the Trinamool Congress in October 2009 after floating his own outfit on resigning from the Congress in July the previous year. His party, Pragatishil Indira Congress, subsequently merged with the Trinamool Congress.