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West Bengal Assembly speaker Rathindra Nath Bose on Wednesday recognised 58 rebel TMC legislators as the principal opposition party. Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha got the leader and deputy leader posts. Ritabrata Banerjee said, "TMC's West Bengal legislative party in the 88th assembly has no leader." This deals a blow to Mamata Banerjee.
Bengal government dissolved the Kolkata Municipal Corporation board on Monday, three days after Firhad Hakim stepped down as mayor. Municipal commissioner Smita Pandey got appointed as administrator. The decision came after the 72-hour period following Hakim's resignation ended without a successor being elected. Hakim said, "I can't disrespect the chair."
INDIA bloc leaders met in New Delhi on Monday, vowing unity and demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. They will send a letter to the CJI on electoral roll issues. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We have agreed on five issues." The group also plans daily meetings during Parliament's Monsoon Session.
Omar Abdullah invited opposition leaders to a Delhi protest for J&K statehood. The National Conference wants to press for restored rights, arguing they were taken away in August 2019. Abdullah urged leaders to join, saying, "reclaim what has been snatched." Many parties got formal invitations for the rally on Parliament's opening day.
Shivamogga's Muslim Rights Forum gathered on Monday, urging the Congress party to appoint Zameer Ahmed Khan as Deputy Chief Minister. They said he merited the post for his contributions, including building bridges and supporting backward classes. The forum's memorandum noted, "The Muslim community has steadfastly supported the Congress party for decades."
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the INDIA bloc is demoralised by electoral setbacks. He claimed the alliance is exhausted and lacks a development agenda, saying, "Their only agenda is to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi." Many parties skipped a meeting due to fears of political decline.
Germany lost a UN Security Council seat on June 3, winning only 104 votes, below the required 127. Portugal and Austria got seats. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, "There is our firm support for Ukraine." This loss is seen as a foreign policy defeat for Germany's government.
DMK is no longer part of the INDIA alliance, confirmed T K S Elangovan. He said, "we are not in that alliance now." The party got out because of Congress's actions. Many allies have also left. DMK will now work alone, but a new anti-BJP force might form.
Industries Minister Sridhar Babu accused BRS leaders KTR and Harish Rao of distorting CM Revanth Reddy's remarks on HYDRAA. He said the CM used 'Hitler' figuratively for "iron resolve required to protect lakes." Babu alleged BRS leaders couldn't digest HYDRAA's success in reclaiming lands, and that the agency works within the law.
TMC faces a crisis as 20 Lok Sabha MPs reportedly decided to part ways. The rebel group, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, claimed support from many MPs. This follows Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray's resignation, who said, "Because of the situation that was prevailing in the party."
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy charged Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy with influencing Union Ministers against granting approvals to Telangana projects. Reddy questioned why BJP MPs are not prevailing upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to approve projects. He said, "Is Mr. Kishan Reddy not obstructing the projects?" Many projects got stalled.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urged INDIA bloc leaders to join NC's protest in New Delhi on Parliament's opening day. The party wants statehood restored for Jammu and Kashmir. NC spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said, "Omar urged all participating parties to join us." Many legislators decided to protest for J&K's rights.
At Monday's INDIA bloc meeting, Congress faced sharp criticism from allies like SP and RJD over poor coordination. Many questioned the absence of DMK, with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav urging Congress to be "magnanimous" and show a "large heart" to allies. The DMK boycotted, citing Congress's actions in Tamil Nadu.