TMC's Goa functionary resigns; cites party high command's instructions to target I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders

Panaji: Trinamool Congress' Goa unit joint convenor Samil Volvoikar resigned from the party on Thursday, alleging that there were instructions from the party high command to target the I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

He said it was against his ethics to target the opposition leaders despite being part of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, and claimed that he tried to convince the party workers that defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should be the goal.

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is part of the multi-party INDIA bloc alliance that was formed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to provide a political alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Addressing a press conference, Volvoikar said he had joined the TMC thinking that it would provide an alternative to the BJP in the state.

"I continued with the party despite not being successful in the 2022 assembly elections. But during the Lok Sabha polls (held last year), I found some disturbing things," he said.

"The party had then decided that it should not be campaigning for anyone. But I supported the INDIA bloc candidates in both (North Goa and South Goa) parliamentary constituencies," he said.

United opposition was the need of the hour, he said.

"I felt that in order to defeat the BJP, there was a need to work from a common platform. I tried to convince the party workers that our agenda was to defeat the BJP. But I found that TMC was targeting the opposition leaders themselves...This was against my ethics," Volvoikar added.

"Of late, I was staying away from attending press conferences as there were instructions from the party high command that we should be criticising opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi. At that time, I found that something was fishy," he said.

He said he consulted his well-wishers, who suggested him not to remain in the political organisation that intends to split anti-BJP votes.

The TMC had contested the 40-member Goa legislative assembly polls in 2022, but failed to win even a single seat.