Bhuniya resigns as MLA over RS nomination

Trinamool Congress legislator Dr Manas Bhuniya on Monday resigned from his MLA ship.

Dr Bhuniya has been nominated to Rajya Sabha by Trinamool Congress. The election will be held on August 8.

Dr Bhuniya had fought in the 2016 Assembly election as a Congress candidate from Sabang. Though initially he had opposed the alliance with CPI(M), later he accepted it and contested and won the election.

Though a veteran Congress leader, a tug of war started between Abdul Mannan and Manas Bhuniya over the post of Leader of Opposition. Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay nominated his name which Congress legislators could not accept and the matter was finally settled by Congress high command. Dr Bhuniya was the state Irrigation and Waterways minister when Trinamool Congress formed its government in 2011. Trinamool and Congress had fought the elections together. Shocked by the attitude of some Congress leaders, Dr Bhuniya joined Trinamool Congress and had attended many meeting and rallies. Mamata Banerjee has nominated Dr Bhuniya for Rajya Sabha. After tendering his resignation, Dr Bhuniya said, as a "faithful party worker" he would highlight the issues raised by the party in the Upper House.