Suvendu Adhikari is credited with crafting the Trinamool's victory in the 2016 assembly election
The West Bengal Speaker today refused to accept Trinamool Congress rebel Suvendu Adhikari's resignation from the party highlighting the Mamata Banerjee-led party's desperation ahead of the assembly elections in the state. Till his resignation is accepted, Mr Adhikari will remain a Trinamool MLA.
Speaker Biman Banerjee also asked Mr Adhikari, who quit yesterday, to meet him on Monday saying his resignation letter was not in order and he was not satisfied that it was "genuine and voluntary".
This comes hours after four big exits in 24 hours from Bengal's ruling party, deepening a crisis for the Mamata Banerjee-led party ahead of polls four months away.
Yesterday, soon after Mr Adhikari resigned, another MLA, Jitendra Tiwari, announced he is quitting as well.
Mr Tiwari's close associate Colonel Diptanshu Chowdhury also resigned as South Bengal State Transport Corporation and head of the state's grievance monitoring cell. He sent his letter to Mamata Banerjee as well as the governor yesterday. Col Chowdhury had joined the Trinamool from the BJP.
MLA Shilbhadra Dutta and minority cell leader Kabirul Islam quit today. Many others resigned at lower tiers of the party.
The exits from Trinamool came ahead of Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah's visit to Bengal on the weekend.
Many of the rebels are expected to cross over to the BJP during Amit Shah's visit to the state.
Suvendu Adhikari is credited with crafting the Trinamool's victory in the 2016 assembly election and is a big catch for the BJP. Mr Adhikari is said to have control over local leaders in more than 50 seats in the western part of the state.