TMC expels party leader after outburst against Mamata

Kolkata, Feb 26 (IANS) West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress Thursday expelled party leader and former state minister Humayun Kabir on disciplinary grounds a day after his rant against party supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

"Humayun Kabir has been expelled from the party for six years. Despite being show caused, he continued to indulge in anti-party activities. So the disciplinary committee has taken this decision," Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee said.

Kabir, an influential leader from Murshidabad district, Wednesday slammed Banerjee for projecting her nephew Abhishek Banerjee as her successor and undermining party general secretary Mukul Roy.

"It's Roy who has been running the Trinamool but now Banerjee is aspiring to make her nephew the king. But the people will not fulfil her aspiration," Kabir had said.

Kabir publicly showed his allegiance to Roy, who has been sidelined in the party in recent weeks after he seemingly fell out with Banerjee following his interrogation by the CBI in connection with the multi-crore rupee Saradha ponzi scam.

"I've doubts if she (Banerjee) will be able to continue as the chief minister. Right now she has 191 members, if 50 of them leave, then her government will be reduced to a minority and she will have to resign," said Kabir.

Kabir, who won the 2011 assembly polls on a Congress ticket, switched over to the Trinamool and was inducted into the Mamata Banerjee cabinet in 2012.

However, he had to resign after losing the by-poll from Rejinagar constituency.

Kabir's expulsion comes a day after the Trinamool suspended its MLA from Suri, Swapan Kanti Ghosh, on disciplinary grounds after he staged a demonstration in the assembly premises alleging misappropriation of funds meant for central projects.