In intensification of boardroom feud in the Tata Group,
patriarch Ratan Tata-led holding firm on Friday sought removal of ousted
Chairman Cyrus Mistry and his new-found supporter Nusli N Wadia from three
prime listed entities, including Tata Motors and Tata Steel.

Mistry, who was ousted as Chairman of Tata Sons in a sudden
surprise move last month, suffered another setback when a non-executive
director of Tata Chemicals Ltd, Bhaskar Bhat, resigned disagreeing with the
proceedings and demanded his resignation.

Even after being removed as Chairman of Tata Sons, Mistry
continues to head the group’s several listed firms, including Tata Motors, Tata
Power, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals.

Tata Sons, who had Thursday removed him as chairman of the
group’s shining star Tata Consultancy Services, sought convening of
extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of Tata Motors, Tata Steel and
Tata Chemicals to remove him as well as Wadia from their boards.

Wadia is reported to have rallied independent directors of Tata
Chemicals to back Mistry as Chairman of the company.

The latest moves is seen as attempts by Ratan Tata, who was
brought in as interim head after sudden removal of Mistry, to seize back
control of India’s largest conglomerate.

Tata Sons is seeking to remove Mistry from other group units
to help the promoters tighten grip over the $103 billion business empire.

Tata Chemicals non-executive director Bhaskar Bhat resigned
over what he said were disagreements with other board members. In his
resignation letter, Bhat said, “The contents as well as the spirit of the
statement (of on Thursday that expressed support of independent directors to
Mistry) completely dilutes the views I expressed at the Board meeting
especially regarding the threat the company faces on account of loss of
confidence of the promoter Tata Sons in the Chairman of Tata Chemicals.”

Bhat is also managing director of Titan Co, a jewellery manufacturer
backed by Tata Group.

Tata Sons had on Thursday asked asked Indian Hotels Co Ltd,
where it holds 28.01 per cent, to call shareholders meeting to consider
removing Mistry as director of the company. Mistry is Chairman of IHCL.