‘Nobody listens to Didi’: BJP MLA Shankar Sikdar on Mamata Banerjee losing grip on party

KOLKATA: BJP MLA Shankar Sikdar claimed on Sunday that the Trinamool Congress is "collapsing" and that former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is losing her grip on the party, according to news agency ANI.Speaking to the media, Sikdar said, "Who stays and who leaves TMC is no longer in Mamata Banerjee's control, because nobody listens to her. Right now, everyone in the party is acting on their own, ignoring party directives. This means the party is collapsing. Saokat Molla has already been arrested, and like him, many others will also be arrested..."Joining the attack, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul alleged that Mamata Banerjee's hold over the party was weakening and questioned the unity of the opposition INDIA bloc amid reported differences among its allies."The TMC is in shambles. The original TMC party is out of Mamata Banerjee's hands. She is going to Delhi to again create commotion...Where is the INDIA alliance? CPI-M General Secretary, M A Baby, has already written a letter to Congress, which has been alleging that CPI-M and BJP are together under the table. Mr Baby's allegation is why are you calling us for the alliance meet when you think you have put this allegation on us...DMK is not participating...The INDIA alliance has been completely sidelined and discarded by the people of the nation"Meanwhile, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh took a swipe at TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee while commenting on the reported rift within the party."His party is not with him, who will stay with them?"The comments come amid claims by expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee, who has asserted that he enjoys the support of 58 MLAs."We have claimed that the legislative party belongs to these MLAs. Two-thirds of the MLAs who have won in the symbol of the Trinamool Congress. The West Bengal State Legislative Assembly, the Speaker, has granted us our claim. So we want to go one step forward, one step at a time,"Ritabrata Banerjee also said he would like former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to serve as the "chief advisor" to the group of rebel MLAs in the Assembly.