“Choose me or Abhishek Banerjee,” Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee issued a clear message to party chief Mamata Banerjee, aggravating the ongoing crisis and exodus of MPs. Kalyan, a staunch Mamata loyalist, on Thursday criticized her nephew and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, calling him “arrogant” and someone who believes “everyone is below him”.
Kalyan said that while he supports Didi, he doesn’t feel the same about her bhaipo. Kalyan Banerjee said, “I am still with Didi but I will not tolerate Abhishek Banerjee’s arrogance. I have dropped all issues related to Banerjee.”
Although Banerjee has been criticizing the rebel MPs over the past few days, his latest ultimatum to the TMC has raised speculation of a split in the party.
“I deserve some respect.”
Kalyan’s decision to withdraw from Abhishek Banerjee-related cases came with a long rant about how he was not consulted before filing another writ petition and another lawyer taking over the case he was handling.
“At approximately 12:30 p.m., a lawyer came and told me that a separate writ petition had been filed regarding the search and that a senior lawyer would handle the matter. I asked him: ‘If you have already filed this matter, why did you not discuss it with us?’ This is completely illegal.” Follow live updates on the TMC crisis here.
His remarks came soon after the Calcutta High Court heard an application filed by Abhishek in connection with allegations of forged signatures for legal aid agreements submitted to the Bengal Assembly.
According to Kalyan Banerjee, he was the one who mentioned the case before the court for an urgent hearing on Wednesday, a day after searches were conducted at the offices of Abhishek and Mamata in Kolkata.
“I spent the night preparing the case. Even today, you can see that I go everywhere, take risks and do my job. However, their habit of showing disrespect has not changed. He (Abhishek Banerjee) thinks everyone is beneath him, as if everyone is just employees from Cammack Street,” Banerjee said.
Read also: Back to where you started? The TMC crisis is sparking talk of a merger with the Congress, the party Mamata left in the 1990s
Banerjee also cited the “disrespect” he felt and said he was “taken orders” despite his 45-year legal career. “He (Abhishek) has become very arrogant…he doesn’t respect anyone. That’s why I stepped aside. This morning I also told Didi: Choose between me and Abhishek Banerjee,” Kalyan said, as quoted by PTI.
“If Didi chooses Abhishek…”
“Let Didi decide what she wants to do. As of now I am with her,” Banerjee said, adding, “If Didi decides to go with Abhishek then I will decide myself.”
Banerjee joined the chorus that was amplified after the TMC suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the BJP last month. The reservations against Banerjee paved the way for one of the largest insurgencies Trinamool has ever seen.
Also read: The faces behind the TMC revolution – and why Mamata Banerjee should be worried
Earlier this month, 58 Trinamool Congress legislators disavowed Banerjee and asked Mamata to be their advisor. The rebel camp, consisting of more than three-quarters of the party’s members in Bengal, was led by expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee.
A similar scene is now being repeated in Parliament, with many MPs leaving the TMC side. While at least 14 lawmakers met in Delhi earlier this week, more names withdrew from their membership in Parliament, indicating a major split in the TMC. The latest to join this list were Sushmita Dev and Prakash Barak, who quit their Rajya Sabha membership and created a stir by joining the BJP.
