“They praised Mamata’s sarees, leadership and governance. They never raised any serious complaint before her or before the party leadership,” said the Trinamool Congress on Tuesday, as it targeted the rebels
amid a deepening internal crisis in the party following the poll debacle.
With dissent mounting and back-to-back internal jolts to the TMC’s leadership, the party appears to be under existential threat after its defeat in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly Election.
The conflict within the TMC — which has ruled West Bengal for three consecutive terms — escalated after a rebel group, led by senior leader and MP Kakoli Ghosh, wrote to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, expressing their willingness to join the BJP-led NDA.
TMC Crisis Live Updates
The move followed the rebellion by 60 of the party’s 80 MLAs over Mamata Banerjee’s choice of Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as their leader in the Assembly.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said: “We are not worried about who leaves. We need fresh blood, committed workers and leaders who stand by the party during difficult times. Our leader is Mamata Banerjee. Our symbol is the Trinamool Congress symbol. Our strength comes from our workers and the people of Bengal. You may have power, money, government machinery, agencies, vehicles, security and property. We have Maa, Maati and Maanush.”
Banerjee targeted the rebels, saying they “praised Mamata’s leadership and sarees” but back stabbed her.
“Whenever these MPs met Mamata Banerjee, they praised her leadership, sarees and the government. They never raised any serious complaint before her or before the party leadership,” he said.
‘Campaigning In Mamata’s Name’
Kalyan Banerjee, a TMC MP from the Seerampur assembly constituency, challenged the rebels to visit their respective constituencies and face the public. “Let them face those workers and explain their actions.”
Banerjee asked why these leaders fought the election in the name of Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, who is widely viewed as the party’s heir.
“If they had grievances against the leadership, why did they not raise them before the elections? Why did they campaign in the name of Mamata Banerjee and praise her development work before polling?” the TMC leader asked.
TMC Under Threat
In what can be viewed as a fresh escalation to the ongoing conflict within the TMC, the party’s MP Kakoli Ghosh — accompanied by 19 fellow MPs — openly expressed her willingness to split away and join hands with the NDA.
On Monday, 14 rebel MPs met Union Minister and BJP leader Bhupender Yadav and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Last week, West Bengal speaker Rathindra Nath Bose recognised 58 rebel TMC legislators, led by MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, as the principal opposition bloc. The rebels had accused the TMC leadership of functioning in an authoritarian manner and challenged Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership.
