Saradha fallout | TMC's reputation under a cloud

TMC shying away from contest, left with no member in PAC or PUC

The Saradha scam fallout has taken the wind out of the sails of the Trinamool Congress, the impact of which can be felt in the ongoing Parliament session.

The TMC, is left without any representation in two crucial Parliamentary committees the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Public Undertakings Committee (PUC).

Significantly, the TMC at this juncture, with its reputation under a cloud, is shying away from contesting for these posts.

The PAC which has 21 members from Lok Sabha and nine from Rajya Sabha, had TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy as member, whose term has since come to an end.

TMC Lok Sabha member and former Union minister Saugata Roy had therefore filed in a nomination for the post but was asked to withdraw by Sudip Bandyopadhya, the TMC leader in the Lok Sabha.

What had transpired was that AIADMK leader M Thambidurai, also from the Lok Sabha whose party has nine MPs in the house, also wanted this vacant seat and approached Bandyopadhya informing him that if TMC did not withdraw, there would be a contest with the AIADMK over this.

A contest at this juncture is the last thing that the beleaguered TMC wants as it would imply approaching the various political parties to garner their support. The TMC leader advised Roy in such an event to withdraw.

When contacted Saugata Roy speaking to Business Standard said, “I had submitted my nomination for the PAC with the full knowledge of the TMC leader of the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhya. Later he told me that he was approached by AIADMK leader M Thambidurai who said that in case we did not withdraw there would be a contest and so he told me that its better that I withdraw to avoid elections.”

Significantly, the Trinamool Congress is also left without any representation in another Parliamentary committee the Public Undertakings Committee (PUC). The committee consists of fifteen members which includes ten members from Lok sabha and five from Rajya Sabha.

TMC’s Ambica Banerjee from the Lok Sabha who was a member, expired recently and the post is since lying vacant.

The TMC while maintaining a brave face as several of its MPs and MLAs being found to be associated with the Saradha scam, is trying to avoid any undue attention on itself.