Pratikur Rahaman, a CPI(M) state committee member in West Bengal and a prominent young leader of the party, switched allegiance to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday. Following this move, the CPI(M) leadership expelled him from the party. Rahaman was formally welcomed into the TMC by Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary and Lok Sabha member, at the party office in Amtala, South 24 Parganas district.
Notably, Rahaman had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Diamond Harbour constituency as a CPI(M) candidate against Banerjee. Speaking to the media after joining the TMC, Rahaman cited a lack of space within the CPI(M) to express his views as the reason for his departure. He expressed his belief that the Trinamool Congress provided a platform to counter the policies and politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Rahaman addressed speculations about his move by stating that his deal with the Trinamool Congress was aimed at combating the communal politics of the BJP. Abhishek Banerjee, while welcoming Rahaman to the party, mentioned that Rahaman had approached the TMC leadership with a willingness to serve the people of the state. Banerjee criticized the CPI(M) leadership for imposing restrictions on young leaders and workers within the party and denounced its stance on various political matters.
Banerjee also accused the CPI(M) of inadequately protesting against issues like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the state. This development precedes the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections later this year and is anticipated to hold significance in the state’s political landscape.
