Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool has lost key leaders to the BJP (file)
Calcutta:
Four faces were missing from a cabinet meeting called by Bengal’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday, causing eyebrows to be shocked by the possibility of more Trinamool leaders changing political camps ahead of the Assembly elections. of the next year.
Of the four, three offered perfectly valid explanations, said Partha Chatterjee, the secretary general of the ruling party. Rajib Banerjee, the fourth, was held incommunicado until late at night.
Disturbingly, Mr. Banerjee, the Domjur MLA and Forestry Minister, has taken jarring notes over the past few weeks. In November, at a public meeting in Calcutta, he spoke about nepotism and adulation in the party, claiming that “yes men” were gaining prominence and that this was a cause of great personal disappointment.
Banerjee’s comments appeared to mirror those of Suvendu Adhikari, the influential former Trinamool leader who joined the BJP last week. Last month, Adhikari spoke of “leaders arriving by parachute or elevator,” a reference to Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.
Rajib Banerjee’s comments prompted Chatterjee to call him over for a chat. Poll strategist Prashant Kishore was reportedly present at the meeting.
After the talks, Banerjee showed a more conciliatory note, saying that his problems with the party should not be linked to those of his former colleagues, especially Adhikari. However, his absence from today’s cabinet meeting is being viewed with suspicion.
Among the other missing ministers was North Bengal Development Minister Rabindranath Ghosh from Cooch Behar. Mr. Ghosh said he was busy monitoring Duare, Duare Campaign: an outreach program by Ms. Banerjee to help people access government services.
Gautam Deb, the Darjeeling district tourism minister, is unwell, and Birbhum’s Chandranath Sinha said he was busy preparing for the chief minister’s visit next week.
Trinamool, facing a tough fight to maintain control in Bengal in the face of a BJP attack, has lost at least seven lawmakers and scores of others to the opposition party. Several, including Adhikari, joined the BJP on December 19, in the presence of Interior Minister Amit Shah.
Addressing a demonstration in the Paschim Medinipur district, Mr. Shah mocked Ms. Banerjee for the defections, saying: “I did, this is only the beginning for when the elections come only to you and your nephew will remain in the party “.
Associates of Adhikari, who is seen as playing a key role in the Nandigram movement that paved the way for Mamata Banerjee to power in 2011, have told the BJP that they can “break” the Trinamool in three months.
Trinamool have shrugged off the starts, describing them as “good to get rid of responsibilities.” However, privately, several party leaders admit concerns and say that if Rajib Banerjee or other high-profile figures left, it could affect party morale.
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