Trinamool Congress Chairperson formed a 20-member national committee amidst an apparent rift in the party. In true Mamata fashion, she dissolved all the posts except hers in what many might call ‘tackling the problem head on’.
This move was aimed at restoring unity within the party which has been witnessing several bouts of infighting especially between the old guard and the new guard, and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee stands right at the center of it all.
The freshly formed committed which is slated to hold its first meeting on 18 February consists of Amit Mitra, Subrata Bakshi, Partha Chatterjee, Sudip Banerjee, Yashwant Sinha, Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Kakali Ghosh Dastidar, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy, Rajesh Tripathi, Jyotipriya Mullick, Asima Patra, Malay Ghatak, Anubrata Mondol, Buluchik Baraik, Goutam Dev, Shovandev Chattopadhyay, along with Abhishek Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee.
All Eyes on The First National Committee Meeting
After almost a week of political speculation, things seemed to have calmed down in the Trinamool Congress camp, at least on the outside. Social media handles of TMC leaders and TMC WhatsApp groups which too were silent during this saga are beginning to see some activity.
But all eyes are on the first national committee meeting on 18 February, which will be crucial for the future of not only the party, but also, I-PAC and Abhishek Banerjee.
Professor of Political Science, Rabindra Bharati University Biswanath Chakraborty, when speaking to The Quint, says that ‘Now that Mamata Banerjee has calmed she, she will reinstate Abhishek Banerjee as the national general secretary again.”
He further added that besides distributing portfolios, “the party will also be deciding on their national equation with the Congress and how they can form a united front to counter the BJP.”
Besides this, mayors of Asansol, Biddhannagar and Chandernagore Municipal Corporations will also be decided at the meeting. Goutam Dev has already been named as the mayor of Siliguri.
While it is unlikely that the ‘One Person, One Post’ measure will be implemented, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if several wings are clipped.
How Did They Get Here?
It all started when two separate lists for the municipality elections were launched – one by senior party leaders Partha Chatterjee and Subrata Bakshi, and the other which was released on the party’s website and social media handles.
Fingers were pointed at I-PAC for this alleged ‘goof up’, which the organization categorically denied in a tweet later.
WB Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya had claimed that I-PAC was posting on her behalf. She claimed that I-PAC had used her profile to change the cover photo to endorse the "One Person One Post" campaign.
I-PAC had unfollowed Mamata Banerjee on the evening of 11 February, adding fuel to the speculations that the two might finally be breaking up. But within an hour or so, they followed her back.
But the blame towards I-PAC was just a part of a seemingly bigger problem which involved heir apparent Abhishek Banerjee.
Abhishek Banerjee in the Eye of the Storm
As the cracks expanded, a section of TMC youth leaders, especially those close to junior Banerjee took to social media to support the ‘One Person One Post’ campaign, a theory floated by Banerjee, and had not gone down with senior leaders.
Firhad Hakim went on record to not only slam the campaign but also to say that the party does not endorse such a theory and what the party supremo says is final. He further clarified that he is issuing the statement after speaking to Mamata Banerjee.
The ‘One party-one post’ concept, once introduced by the Trinamool Supremo, is subject to her approval and discretion and she will set the rules for it. With approval from Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee, I am saying that our party does not support such campaigns.Firhad Hakim, TMC MLA
This was one of the many instances where the differences between Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee came to light, with I-PAC getting caught in the crossfire.
Several now and ex-TMC leaders were not happy with Abhishek’s ‘sudden’ rise to power since his foray into politics. To add fuel to that fire, Abhishek brought on I-PAC after TMC’s poll debacle in the 2019 elections and played a hand in introducing a system of decentralization of power within the party, thereby empowering grassroots leaders.
This did not go down well with many senior leaders, who felt that their organizational hold over the party is being clipped. The biggest fallout from that approach was of Suvendu Adhikari.
To Abhishek’s credit, TMC won big at the 2021 Assembly Elections and the winning streak didn’t stop there. While the decentralization approach, which one can call the trailer to the ‘One Person One Post’ thriller, was not accepted by those who stayed back at TMC, but then their primary objective was to beat the BJP.
Later, Abhishek was promoted to the position of national general secretary of TMC, making him the de-facto number two in the party.
He was given the responsibility to expand the party’s prospects nationally, and has been primarily handling Goa, which went to polls on 14th February.
Now that the BJP has been defeated, these internal problems are coming to the forefront, which experts have claimed is because of a rather complex and triangular approach to the party functioning – a system the party is not used to at all.
It went to a point where leaders were slinging mud at each other over who they were loyal to. TMC MLA Madan Mitra accused Sougata Roy and I-PAC for destroying the party from within.
Meanwhile TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee even made it clear that he will only listen to Mamata Banerjee and will only accept Abhishek Banerjee as a leader if he can win Goa.
Tough Love?
While many saw a red signal in Mamata not naming Abhishek when talking about Goa polls, Abhishek has made it clear in an interview to News18 that she is his leader and guiding light.
Another warning bell went off when Derek O’ Brien and Sougata Roy were not included in the national committee. They are said to be close to Abhishek Banerjee.
Party insiders and experts believe that the dissolving of all positions including those of Abhishek will allow Mamata to groom Abhishek as the heir-apparent and allow the senior leadership to accept him.
The same can’t be said for I-PAC. While it has been business as usual in I-PAC and they are still surveying the states where the TMC plans to make inroads, only time will tell what is in store for the TMC-IPAC equation.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)