Mamata cracks whip on Abhishek’s cheerleaders

Kolkata: Last week, the Trinamool Congress steamrolled its way to a spectacular win in all six Assembly by-elections, which were necessitated due to the election of its incumbents to the Lok Sabha. While five seats had been held by the Trinamool Congress, the Madarihat seat had long been a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The massive margins with which the Trinamool Congress won the seats highlighted the hegemony it enjoys at the grassroots.
Despite the string of spectacular electoral successes, all is not well within Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress party, observers say. They maintain that fissures and clashes of ambition at the top of the ruling party are trickling down to lower-level leaders.
Hardly had the electoral euphoria died down when Mamata Banerjee moved swiftly to muzzle voices questioning her authority and to bolster the position of her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.
“These new leaders have all come up under Abhishek’s patronage, and they only want to replace Mamata’s old guard. So, they are all singing paeans to Abhishek. After all, there can be no vacuum in politics,” said veteran journalist Suman Chattopadhyay.
Trinamool watchers say Mamata Banerjee had long given a free hand to her heir apparent and nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, who had worked to establish his position in the party—much to the chagrin of leaders who have been with Mamata since her Congress days.
During the party’s Martyrs’ Day rally on July 21, Abhishek publicly stated that the party would act within three months against underperforming functionaries in Trinamool-run civic and rural bodies and against organizational heads in areas where the party lagged behind the BJP in the general election. His office prepared a performance report on the functionaries of around 120 civic bodies and submitted a list of proposed organizational changes in various districts to Mamata Banerjee.
Abhishek’s camp followers have been quick to credit him for the electoral success, even disparaging the Old Guard and pointing out shortcomings in party supremo Mamata Banerjee, implying that it was time for Abhishek’s ascent.
Trinamool’s Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir, a staunch Abhishek supporter, openly criticized leaders in Mamata’s inner circle. Kabir, speaking to journalists outside the Assembly on Tuesday, said: “I doubt the intentions of those close to Mamata Banerjee. Do they truly want her to be in power in Bengal for long? Firhad Hakim has been given charge of Murshidabad. Can he say how many times he has met district leaders?”
This wasn’t the first time Kabir shot off his mouth. Earlier, Kabir had publicly questioned why Abhishek wasn’t being anointed Deputy Chief Minister.
Trinamool sources say Mamata Banerjee has taken umbrage at the “over-eagerness of the Abhishek Banerjee camp.”
At the national executive council meeting of the party on Monday, Mamata Banerjee moved swiftly to reassert herself as the Trinamool’s sole decision-maker.
Abhishek Banerjee’s proposed organizational overhaul seems to have been put on hold for now.
“The inclusion of the old guard as members of the new committees confirms that Abhishek’s recommendations to remove underperformers (based on Lok Sabha poll results) will not be implemented immediately,” said a Trinamool leader. “This has certainly demotivated many who want to see Abhishek as the face of the organization after his aunt (Mamata),” he added.
“Given the outcome of the national executive meeting, we received inputs suggesting that Didi (Mamata) has put Abhishek’s recommendations on hold. We’ll have to wait until at least December second week to see if the impasse between them is resolved,” said a Trinamool leader close to Abhishek.
“Delaying the implementation has once again sent out the message of Didi’s sole authority, although Abhishek has largely been looking after the party’s organizational affairs since the 2021 Assembly polls,” he added.
A Trinamool insider said Mamata would announce changes only after they were vetted by her trusted inner circle. “In the case of changes to civic body functionaries, Didi is likely to speak to Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim. Although changes seem inevitable, they will be overseen by Didi,” the insider said.
The Trinamool Congress effected significant organizational changes with the signature of party supremo and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee clearly visible on the more important decisions.
The changes sent a “strong signal” against the loose cannons and dissenters who have made the Trinamool’s job more difficult in the aftermath of the RG Kar rape-murder and the protests it triggered, party seniors said. Monday’s national working committee meeting in Kalighat saw the formation of three disciplinary panels—one for MPs, another for MLAs, and a third for other party functionaries—with the leadership making it clear that any unjustified or out-of-line statements could lead to suspension.
Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray was removed from the party working committee to make way for five new inductees, including Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee. The list of spokespersons was also revised. Those considered close to the Abhishek Banerjee camp, known for praising the Trinamool Number Two on live television, were removed, and a new committee was constituted with leaders close to Mamata’s inner circle.
“The party has decided that no one can make random comments whenever they like,” State Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya told reporters after the meeting. “Those who face these charges and get show-cause notices must respond. Failure to respond to three consecutive show-cause notices will lead to suspension from the party,” she added.
The first Trinamool leader to receive a show-cause notice was Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir.
Known for provocative statements, Kabir had opposed the nomination of former cricketer Yusuf Pathan from the Berhampore seat, who went on to defeat the six-time MP and former state Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury.
During the Lok Sabha election campaign, Kabir had declared that BJP supporters should be thrown into the Bhagirathi River, which brought him censure from the Election Commission of India.
“All this while, he has been making statements against the party and embarrassing it,” said a Trinamool MLA from Kabir’s district. “The leadership kept quiet till it suited them. Now he has targeted Didi’s inner coterie. Let us see if he is only reprimanded or if action is taken. Otherwise, what is the point of having so many disciplinary committees?”
Journalist Suman Chattopadhyay, whose career has run parallel to Mamata’s political journey, said: “Anyone who knows Mamata will tell you that she will not give away her power and authority to anybody—even if it is her nephew, Abhishek.”