Just two days after Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee publicly confronted and questioned his growing influence in the party, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee struck a conciliatory note on Saturday, referring to him as his “son” as he closed ranks against the rebel faction that threatens to split the ruling party in West Bengal.
“He is like my son. It is the father’s job to forgive all the mistakes of the son,” Banerjee told news agency ANI.
His remarks come as the TMC faces a deepening internal crisis, with dissident MPs and TMC members claiming support for a dissident faction in both Parliament and the state assembly. In dismissing the rebel efforts, the four-time Serampore MP alleged that the opposition was being systematically targeted and accused the BJP of trying to destabilize the party.
“Democracy is under threat in the country. West Bengal has never faced a situation where the opposition has been eliminated. The Prime Minister (Suvendu Adhikari) is vindictive. This is a danger to democracy,” he said.
Banerjee also dismissed the rebel campaign, saying: “Let them do what they want. They will have to live under the shelter of the BJP. It is all a hoax.”
Kalyan Banerjee attacks the rebel camp
The military veteran also questioned the rebels’ claims that they were seeking development for their constituencies, arguing that the justification did not hold up.
“They are citing the reason as development of their constituencies, but those who cannot even visit their constituencies, what will they do? When democracy ends in West Bengal. What development has happened in the last month, even after the talks with the chief minister?” He said.
The senior TMC leader also accused the BJP and law enforcement agencies of targeting opposition leaders.
“The BJP is harassing us, the police are harassing us. No opposition in West Bengal has faced anything like what we are facing before. The BJP will not accept the 19 MPs who will go to the BJP,” he added.
His remarks represent a major departure from the stance he took earlier this week when he publicly challenged Abhishek Banerjee and suggested that Mamata Banerjee would have to choose between the two.
“Let Didi decide what she wants to do. So far I am with her,” Kalyan Banerjee said on Thursday. “If Didi decides to go with Abhishek then I will decide myself.”
In one of his fiercest attacks on the TMC Secretary General, Banerjee accused Abhishek of arrogance and disrespect for senior leaders.
“He thinks everyone is below him, as if everyone is just employees from Cammack Street,” Banerjee said, adding that despite his decades-long legal and political career, Abhishek “has no respect for anyone.”
Abhishek Banerjee reportedly reacted to Banerjee’s statements by saying, “Kalyan Banerjee is older than me. He has the right to express his opinions. He has seen me since my childhood. I will not speak anything against him.”
Rebel MPs demand support, and integration plans are unclear
The Trinamool Congress is currently facing unrest in Parliament and in West Bengal, with dissident leaders trying to organize themselves into a separate faction.
The recent uproar intensified after a letter bearing the signatures of 19 rebel MPs appeared on Friday. Some rebel leaders claimed that the document had been sent to the Lok Sabha Speaker, although the Speaker’s Office did not confirm its receipt.
Despite the speculation, it remains unclear whether the breakaway camp intends to merge with the BJP.
“So far, these MPs have only indicated that they want to be seen as a separate parliamentary group,” a person aware of the developments told HT.
Meanwhile, some leaders linked to the rebellion have spoken out in support of the NDA. They include TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and suspended TMC leader Riju Dutta.
“As far as I know, these MPs are likely to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday, and a big meeting is scheduled on Sunday, which, as per my information, the Bengal Chief Minister may also attend,” Dutta told ANI.
The number of 19 representatives is significant because anti-defection provisions provide protection if at least two-thirds of a party’s lawmakers agree to merge with another political party.
The rebel camp has also openly expressed its dissatisfaction with Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership.
Amid the escalating political drama, a large contingent of personnel from Kolkata Police’s Kalighat Police Station and Shalaboni Police Station, accompanied by Central Security Forces, arrived at MP Abhishek Banerjee’s residence on Saturday morning.
