Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Diamond Harbor MP, has emerged as one of the major problems faced by rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders who are distancing themselves from the party one by one in the biggest identity crisis for the outfit that has been in power in the state for three consecutive terms.
Mamata Banerjee, the founder of the TMC, has been abandoned by almost the entire elected section of her party, with corruption and Abhishek Banerjee cited as the reason for the revolt by most of the rebel MLAs as well as MPs. Follow news of the TMC crisis on June 11 here
Adding to the successive setbacks, Mamata Banerjee lost a third Rajya Sabha MP – Prakash Shek Barack – this week with his resignation on Thursday. Sushmita Dave on Wednesday announced her resignation as Rajya Sabha MP and exit from the TMC. Dev’s exit came two days after TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Rai resigned from the Rajya Sabha, citing “unbridled corruption” and “chaotic governance” of the party. Follow TMC crisis updates on June 11 here
Dev Wrai’s resignation comes as the latest blow after an unsettled week for Mamata Banerjee, with the TMC suffering a split in the Bengal Assembly – with 58 lawmakers backing rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee, who has staked her claim to the position of Leader of the Opposition – and also showing signs of cracks in Parliament with MP Kakoli Ghosh on Monday offering support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), claiming she has the backing of 19 other MPs – the number required to evade the anti-defection law.
Amid the turmoil, Mamata Banerjee met Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, a meeting after which speculation emerged about the TMC’s “merger” with the grand old party.
Why is the main problem for the rebel Abhishek Banerjee?
Amid the exodus of key leaders, Mamata Banerjee was dealt a blow, perhaps the biggest, on Thursday, when one of her closest aides – Kalyan Banerjee – asked her to choose between him and her nephew Abhishek.
Not just Kalyan Banerjee, Ritabrata Banerjee also led the MLAs’ revolt last week and urged Mamata Banerjee to be their chief advisor, saying Abhishek Banerjee has no connection with the state assembly.
The rebels have cited Abhishek’s superiority in the party, and his alleged preference for strategy firm I-PAC over party cadres, among the reasons that prompted them to break ranks to demand a “real TMC”.
“arrogant” and “marginal”
Rebels within the TMC oppose Abhishek Banerjee, accusing him of an “arrogant” centralized leadership style, systematically alienating the party’s old guard, and over-reliance on political consultants such as I-PAC to select candidates and make internal decisions.
Kalyan Banerjee, a lawyer, said he would not appear before Abhishek Banerjee under any circumstances as he did not like his “arrogant attitude”.
“I have spent 45 years in this profession, all these people have worked with me when I was young. How can he insult me? I am senior to him in politics too. He can’t do this. He has to understand that it is because of him that we lost. He also has to understand that the party is facing this crisis because of him. I cannot tolerate disrespect. I will urge Didi: If you are going to remain dependent on Abhishek Banerjee, stay with him – leave me. But if you are going to remain dependent on Abhishek Banerjee, stay with him,” Banerjee said in Speaking to the media: “We parted ways with Abhishek Banerjee. I am with you. He has destroyed our party.”
Senior leaders and lawmakers feel ignored and excluded from crucial decision-making processes. Abhishek Banerjee’s direct appointments and control of the legislature are seen as sidelining veteran politicians who previously wielded more influence.
Soon after resigning from his post as a Rajya Sabha MP and relinquishing primary membership in the TMC, Sukhendu Sekhar Rai on Monday criticized the party over the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case, asserting that the state leadership has become disconnected from ground realities.
“The power has reached their heads to the point where they thought no one in the world can touch them,” Rai was quoted as saying by ANI to reporters after resigning from his post.
He alleged that ministers, panchayat leaders, councilors and mayors, who have been in power for the past 15 years, were inaccessible, while party workers at the grassroots level were marginalized.
“Our party workers who strengthened the organization with their blood and sweat, and those who fought against the Left Front for years, have been sidelined. Instead, middlemen, thieves, thieves and rapists have come to the fore. All this is now coming to light and appearing on television. Who has the biggest house in the village? Panchayat leader. It has a swimming pool, exotic birds, etc… Crores of rupees have been looted. That is why I am taking action,” the demand said.
Many within the party are openly critical of the influence of political consultants, especially the political action committee, in determining electoral tickets. High-profile controversies, such as the withdrawal of candidates without consultation and the leadership’s defensive responses, sparked further anger.
While the old guard retains deep respect and loyalty for Mamata Banerjee, they view the rise of Abhishek Banerjee as her political heir with suspicion.
Internal tensions reached a boiling point last week when rebel lawmakers claimed their signatures were forged on legislative documents sent directly to the Speaker. This was what basically led to Ritabrata Chakraborty’s rebellion.
On June 3, West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathendra Nath Bose recognized 58 rebel TMC legislators as the main opposition group in the 294-member House.
On June 1, Ritabrata and Sundiban Saha were expelled from the TMC after Prime Minister Suvendu Adhikari said their written complaint had led to a CID probe into signature forgery allegations against Abhishek Banerjee.
The two lawmakers alleged that the signatures of several TMC MLAs were forged on the May 19 resolution nominating Subhandeep Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. The spokesman then requested a police investigation into the matter. Abhishek Banerjee is the prime suspect as he sent the resolution to the Speaker.
For years, Abhishek Banerjee has been widely seen as the political heir to Mamata Banerjee, and has drawn criticism for being a product of “nepotism”. As his influence grew, so did concerns among sectors of the old guard that felt increasingly marginalized.
