NEW DELHI: Facing a wave of dissent and internal opposition following its electoral defeat, the Trinamool Congress is reworking its organizational strategy with party leaders signaling that key decisions will increasingly be handled by the party leadership directly rather than by external advisers.
According to senior party leaders, the TMC has also decided to move cautiously on organizational appointments and disciplinary measures as it seeks to stabilize its ranks amid the continued exit of senior leaders.
A senior TMC leader said the party had decided “not to outsource its organizational work”. He said party chief Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee “will meet people daily” at Kalighat, or Banerjee’s residential office, and at the party office.
Both the decisions carry significance as the party has been relying heavily on I-PAC since the run-up to the 2021 Assembly elections in West Bengal. While I-PAC initially managed the preparations for the TMC polls, party insiders said in the past few years, the agency has been involved in key decisions related to the organisation.
TMC’s association with I-PAC, widely seen as part of Abhishek’s drive for regulatory reforms, has taken a hit due to ED raids on the agency’s offices in Kolkata and criticism from some senior leaders. “I-PAC has hijacked our organization and created divisions within the party,” TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee said in the Lok Sabha. Riju Dutta, the now fired spokesperson, alleged that I-PAC officials demanded bribes from the candidates.
The renewed focus on Kalighat and the party headquarters is also important because it moves organizational activity away from Cammack Street, which has emerged in recent years as an important center of political and organizational decision-making associated with Abhishek Banerjee.
“Some people in the Camac Street (office) did not like me. But Mamata Banerjee gave me a ticket and I won the election,” Kunal Ghosh, party spokesman, said last week.
His comments increased speculation about disagreements within party sections over the role and influence of Cammack Street’s office.
The organizational recalibration comes as the party seeks to rebuild after a series of setbacks. Since the election results were announced on May 4, the TMC has lost 62 of its 80 TMC members to a splinter group that has also taken control of the position of Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Parliament. Earlier this month, 20 of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs met the Speaker seeking a merger with NCPI. The mayor of Kolkata has also resigned along with several corporations ahead of the municipal elections scheduled later this year.
