5 rebel TMC Birbhum MLAs get security upgrades

Bolpur/Kolkata: Bengal govt on Sunday upgraded security of five Trinamool MLAs, all of whom are part of the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel camp of 58 MLAs.The five are Chandranath Sinha (Bolpur), Rajendra Prasad Singh (Nalhati), Mosaraf Hossain (Murarai), Bidhan Chandra Majhi (Nanoor) and Kajal Sheikh (Hasan). They represent the entire contingent of Trinamool legislators elected from Birbhum's eleven assembly seats — the party won only five in the district in the recent elections.The upgrades stand in sharp contrast to the treatment of Trinamool heavyweights — including ex-CM Mamata Banerjee, MP Abhishek Banerjee and Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal — whose security has been reduced or withdrawn entirely since BJP formed the govt. Mondal's camp has complained he has been left with virtually zero cover.Kajal Sheikh's detail was raised from three to five armed guards.Nanoor MLA Bidhan Chandra Majhi's detail was doubled from two to four guards. Asked whether his alignment with Ritabrata had triggered the upgrades, Majhi replied cryptically: "Maybe. Only the officers from the administration and our leader of the opposition can answer this question."