West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced a 20-member National Action Committee amid a growing rift between Abhishek Banerjee and other senior TMC leaders. The move comes after an important meeting at his Kalighat residence, which was attended by seven party leaders.
Derek O’Brien and Saugata Roy, considered close to the IPAC, have not found a place on the National Action Committee.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee told reporters after attending the meeting that she would soon name the new office bearers of the party. “Mamata Banerjee has constituted a 20-member National Action Committee. None of them were assigned any specific portfolio. Mamta will decide later who will get which post.
After the announcement, it is believed that the current National General Secretary post has ceased to exist.
Another senior TMC leader said, “Until Mamata Banerjee announces the new list of office-bearers, all other posts in the final committee are exhausted.” The youth leaders of the Abhishek Banerjee-led party have been vocal for ‘one person one post’. The TMC criticized a section of veteran leaders who had publicly accused them of violating party discipline.
Party insiders said it was clear that Mamata took the decision due to the prevailing circumstances and differences within the party.
TMC sources said that Abhishek Banerjee wanted to step down from the post of TMC national general secretary and remain only the Lok Sabha MP from Diamond Harbor. “The differences have reached such a point that Abhishek feels that there is no point in continuing as the party’s national general secretary when he cannot work,” sources said.
However, it is clear that amidst the rift between Abhishek Banerjee and senior party leaders, Mamta is putting her weight on the seniors.
Difference Between Abhishek and Seniors
Ever since Abhishek Banerjee became the party’s national general secretary, he was considered number 2 in the party. A section of senior leaders was losing power and the leaders were not happy with Banerjee.
After the results of the assembly elections last year, Abhishek’s contribution in this victory was being discussed, which was not liked by the seniors.
Problems with IPAC and Abhishek’s proximity
Senior party leaders were not happy with the functioning of I-PAC. “They were interfering too much in the party’s affairs,” a senior leader said on condition of anonymity.
Since Abhishek had brought the I-PAC, it also acted as a point of rift between Abhishek and the superiors.
one man one post
Abhishek Banerjee had proposed the principle of one man-one post, which means that a leader would have only one post. This would have led to decentralization of power in the party.
Mamta Banerjee also accepted this principle and announced it in the party meeting. However it was stated that this principle could be changed according to the situation, and the discretionary power to change it would rest with the party president.
When the list of candidates for the Calcutta Corporation elections was finalised, the principle did not work and senior leaders protested. The party high command supported the seniors on this issue, which deepened the rift.
civic poll list
As differences were mounting, the final showdown happened when the list finalized by Mamata Banerjee was not uploaded on the party’s Twitter handle. Senior leaders blamed the I-PAC for this, but the I-PAC made a categorical statement that they were not involved.
The senior party leader also conceded that Goa was a bold move by the TMC. Party insiders say that during all this drama, Mamta Banerjee took the side of the seniors.
He said, ‘The party will be divided anyway but this is drama, to promote one person. They want to make an image of him. TMC is not a party, it will be a party as long as it is a woman. They have no ideology,” said Sukanto Majumdar, BJP president.
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