A suggestion to make Trinamool Congress (TMC) quantity two Abhishek Banerjee the Dwelling Minister of West Bengal has set off the newest row inside the get together, as soon as once more exposing fissures between its previous and new guard.
It began after the homicide try on Susanta Ghosh, a Kolkata Municipal Company councillor. On Saturday (November 16), an armed man tried to shoot Ghosh whereas he was sitting exterior his home. Instantly after this, Kolkata Mayor and state city improvement minister Firhad Hakim held a press convention and got here down closely on the police. “Sufficient is sufficient. The place is the Kolkata Police? The place is its data community? I ask the Kolkata Police to behave now,” stated Hakim.
Later Saugata Roy, the Lok Sabha MP from Dumdum, instructed the media: “Are you able to think about that 9 mm pistols are coming to Kolkata from Bihar? It’s time to take into consideration this. It’s positively a failure of Kolkata Police.”
In response to the assault on Ghosh, TMC’s Bharatpur MLA and former state Cupboard minister Humayun Kabir stated he needed Abhishek to turn into the Deputy Chief Minister and full-time Dwelling Minister. Mamata Banerjee who’s Abhishek’s aunt at the moment holds the Dwelling portfolio.
“Mamata Banerjee is overburdened with work,” Kabir stated. “She additionally has to see the nationwide politics and the INDIA alliance (of which the TMC is part). I feel it’s time that Abhishek Banerjee is introduced in as Deputy CM with full cost of the police (Dwelling) division… That won’t solely ease the CM’s burden.”
His namesake and Debra MLA Humayun Kabir, who’s a former IPS officer, additionally joined the refrain. “What is alleged is just not mistaken. In my view, will probably be transfer, “ he stated.
Nevertheless, the opposition from inside the get together got here in swiftly. On Tuesday, Hakim made it clear that he was not in favour of Abhishek’s elevation. “Mamata Banerjee is able to doing the whole lot. We received by exhibiting Mamata Banerjee’s image. Those that are saying all these massive issues ought to first take away Mamata Banerjee’s image and present us that they will win a single election on their very own,” he stated.
Madan Mitra, former transport minister and veteran TMC chief, additionally made an indirect comment that appeared to level in direction of the division between the previous guard and pro-Abhishek leaders within the get together. “I can present you vehicles which are 70 or 80 years previous. I can present you vehicles which are from the period of the second world conflict. They run higher than new vehicles,” he stated.
Backing Kolkata Police, Mitra stated, “Kolkata Police is over-burdened. Their arms are tied. They’re busy manning rallies and different issues.”
This disagreement comes at a time when Abhishek, a TMC nationwide normal secretary and Diamond Harbour MP, is a significant reshuffle within the get together on the district stage. The efficiency of TMC district presidents and different office-bearers is being reviewed and plenty of are anticipated to get replaced quickly.
In keeping with TMC insiders, a divide exists within the get together between leaders whose main allegiance is to Mamata Banerjee and people pushing for a larger position for her nephew. With the forthcoming reshuffle, Abhishek, who’s the de facto quantity two within the get together, is anticipated to additional improve his maintain on the organisation stage in numerous districts. Consequently, a number of prime TMC leaders worry dropping grip and affect on district leaders.
The “younger versus previous” debate within the TMC retains developing each now and again. Earlier this yr, get together spokesperson Kunal Ghosh’s broadside towards senior Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandopadhyay confirmed {that a} rift continues to exist between the 2 sides. In December 2023, controversy erupted when Abhishek stated there ought to be an age restrict for political leaders as productiveness decreases with age. Whereas leaders similar to get together spokesperson Kunal Ghosh and Mitra echoed Banerjee’s stand, saying older leaders ought to play an advisory position, senior leaders similar to Sudip Bandopadhyay and Saugata Roy expressed displeasure on the suggestion and stated the ultimate name lay with Mamata Banerjee.
In April 2023, Hakim was pressured to roll again a choice to hike parking charges in Kolkata, illustrating his supposedly strained ties with Abhishek.
