Kapil Sibal's RS move slammed by both Congress, Trinamool in Bengal

Kolkata, May 25:  Leaders of Congress and West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, otherwise at loggerheads on almost all issues, on Wednesday adopted the same line of criticism in slamming senior Congress leader and former Union minister filing nomination for Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh as Independent with the Samajwadi Party's support.

Congress leader in Lok Sabha and party state unit President, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, said that after enjoying so many important posts being with Congress for so many years and holding important portfolios in UPA-I and UPA-II governments, Sibal took such an action out of his greed for a chair in the Rajya Sabha.

"His current term in the Rajya Sabha will end shortly and there is no hope for his re-nomination. So, he made such a decision. Least said about him his better," he said.

While such a reaction from Chowdhury was quite natural, a surprise thrashing of Sibal over this development came from senior Trinamool leader and three-time MP, Saugata Ray, especially at a time when his party and Samajwadi Party is going a honeymoon phase on various issues.

"I am quite saddened over this action of Sibal. I am not happy with the news of Sibal switching his political camp. He is one of the leading legal brains of the country. He had enjoyed several key posts in Congress, including important Union ministerial chairs. Actually, he has risen from the grassroots level and hence he just served his own interest," Roy said.

Incidentally, in the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the Trinamool did not field any candidate there as an expression of solidarity towards Samajwadi Party. Both Trinamool and the Samajwadi Party are having regular dialogues on the issue of fielding a unanimous opposition candidate for the forthcoming Presidential elections. In such a situation, Roy's comment on the Sibal issue has come as a surprise.

After erstwhile BJP Lok Sabha member, Arjun Singh's return to Trinamool last Sunday, Roy made a loaded statement as he claimed that Singh's return will neither benefit nor harm his party.