Ex-TMC leader Asif Khan for Mamata Banerjee as next Prime Minister

Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Asif Khan who had quit the party in 2014 and launched his own political party Indian Democratic Congress (IDC), while talking to DNA said, his party would do anything within his capacity to support TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the next Prime Minister of India. Khan's statement is a complete U turn from the comment he made in November 2014 when he had called Mamata 'Bandit Queen'.

In a letter to the Election Commission of India on September 27 (DNA has access to the letter), general secretary of IDC, Bidisha Kodali had written that the central council, in a meeting on September 3, decided that the party would be a national level party on and from September 3.

Asked what was the intention behind the move, Khan said, "People of Bengal and India know the political farsightedness of Mamata Banerjee and want her to be the Prime Minister. So, our party will lend all its support to her to ensure that."

Sources said that Khan intended to assimilate Muslim votes in favour of Mamata. Sources also said that Khan intended to get a party ticket to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections next year from Basirhat constituency.

"The Muslims votes for sure, but we are aiming at bringing in maximum votes in Mamata's favour. We will be conducting meetings and rallies to raise awareness among people about what the West Bengal CM had done towards the welfare of the people of Bengal and who is put in the fray from where will definitely be decided by the party supremo," he added.

Interestingly, sitting MP from Basirhat, Idris Ali said that everyone knows what Khan had said against Mamata. "I have been doing my work to the best of my abilities and it has been duly appreciated. While Mamata is the ultimate decision maker about who will contest from where, it is also true that Khan had used unthinkable adjectives while referring to Mamata," Ali told DNA.

In 2014, Khan had been grilled by the CBI for his alleged connection in the Saradha scam. In November 2014, while he was being escorted by police to UP as he was TMC election observer there, had referred to Mamata Banerjee as 'bandit queen' while answering reporters' questions. He alleged that the flat which was seized belonged to Mukul Roy and that all the money from Saradha boss Sudipta Sen had gone to the bandit queen and her party. Asked who the bandit queen was, he said, "Mamata Banerjee."

Past Record

• Asif Khan had quit the TMC in 2014 and had called TMc chief Mamata a ‘bandit queen’. 
• He later floated his own political party — the Indian Democratic Congress (IDC).