West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced a 20-member national working committee amid a growing rift between Abhishek Banerjee and other senior TMC leaders. The move comes after she held a crucial meeting at her Kalighat residence which was attended by seven leaders from the party.
Derek O’Brien and Saugata Roy, considered close to IPAC, have got no place in the National Working Committee.
“She will also name the new office bearers of the party soon,” senior TMC leader Partha Chatterjee told reporters after attending the meeting. “Mamata Banerjee has formed the 20-member National Working Committee. No specific portfolios were assigned to any of them. Mamata will decide later, who will get which post,” Chatterjee said.
Another senior leader said, “Till Mamata Banerjee announces the new list of office bearers, all the other posts of the last committee cease to exist.”
After the announcement, it is being considered that the existing national general secretary post also now ceases to exist.
The party’s young leaders led by Abhishek Banerjee have been vocal for ‘one person one post’ in TMC, drawing criticism from a section of veteran leaders who publicly accused them of violating party discipline.
Party insiders said that it is clear that the current circumstances and with the differences inside the party has led Mamata to take this decision.
Sources in the TMC said that Abhishek Banerjee wanted to step down from the post of TMC National General Secretary and remain only as the Lok Sabha MP from Diamond Harbour. “Differences has reached at such point that Abhishek feels that there is no point that he should remain party National General Secretary, when he can’t work, sources said.
However, it is clear that amid the rift between Abhishek Banerjee and senior party leaders, Mamata is putting her weight on the seniors.
After this crucial meeting, Abhishek Banerjee had an hour long personal meeting with Mamata.
Differences Between Abhishek and Seniors
After Abhishek Banerjee became party’s National General Secretary, he was being considered as number 2 in the party. The power of a section of senior leaders was getting curtailed and the leaders were not happy with Banerjee.
After the assembly elections result last year, Abhishek’s contribution in this victory was being discussed, which was not being liked by the seniors.
Problems With IPAC and Abhishek’s Proximity to it
Senior party leaders were not happy with the working of the I-PAC. “They were interfering too much into party affair,” a senior leader said on the condition of anonymity.
Since, Abhishek had brought in I-PAC, therefore it also acted as a point of rift between Abhishek and the seniors.
One man One post
Abhishek Banerjee had proposed the theory of one man-one post, which means that one leader will have only one post. This would have led to decentralisation of power in the party.
Mamata Banerjee too accepted this theory and declared it in the party meeting. Though it was stated that this theory can be changed according to situation, and that the discretionary power of changing it will remain with the party chairperson.
When Calcutta Corporation polls candidature lists were finalised, the theory did not work and the senior leaders protested. The party’s high command supported the seniors on this issue, which deepened the rift.
Civic poll list
As differences were widening, the final showdown happened when the list that was finalised by Mamata Banerjee was not uploaded to the party’s Twitter handle. Senior leaders blamed I-PAC for this, but I-PAC clearly came up with statement that they were not involved into this.
Party senior leader also considered that Goa was adventure by TMC. During all this drama, Mamata Banerjee had sided with the seniors, party insiders said.
“Party will split anyway but this is drama, to promote one person. They want to create his image. TMC is not party, this party will stay till that lady is there. They don’t have any ideology,” Sukanto Majumdar, BJP President said.
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