A day after Trinamool Congress Supreme Mamata Banerjee sent a stern warning to rebels within the ruling party in West Bengal, a minister from her cabinet showed signs of discontent on Saturday.
“Whenever I tried to show my competence and ability, I was relegated to the back seat. I do not know what happened. Corrupt leaders, liars and those who do not enjoy the people’s trust are being brought to the fore just because they are sycophants, ”said Rajib Banerjee, the state’s minister of forests, known for his clean image.
He is the second minister in the TMC-governed government to express discontent. Earlier, TMC’s heavyweight and state Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari had resigned from his posts and issued a veiled challenge to TMC’s leadership, widening his gap with the party.
“It hurts when I see that those who have the competence and the skill and are working on the ground among the people are not given any importance. Instead, those who are sitting in air conditioning chambers and thinking that they could deceive people are occupying the front seats, “he added.
However, this is not the first time that Rajib Banerjee has spoken out against corruption. Earlier this year, he had said that the party’s campaign against internal corruption should target not only “fries” but also “big shots.” However, a high-ranking minister attacked Banerjee, accusing him of echoing the BJP stance.
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“This is the era of the sycophants. But people don’t like these things. People elect their political leaders with many aspirations. But when they see that the leader is a flatterer, they refuse to accept it. Some people can’t feel the pulse of the people, ”he said, adding that if leaders think people are dumb, then they are living in a fool’s paradise.
Even as the TMC is desperately trying to fix the cracks in its armor, more loopholes are appearing with one leader after another speaking out against the party.
“Those who have a minimum self-esteem left within them, will not be able to work at the TMC. It is because in the TMC party, only those who come from a particular house in Kalighat can become leaders. The rest who gave their sweat and blood will always remain as employees, ”said Dilip Ghosh, president of BJP’s Bengal unit.
Previously, while Mihir Goswami, a TMC MLA had switched to the BJP, Silbhadra Dutta, another TMC MLA from Barrackpore lashed out at the team of poll strategist Prashant Kishor without naming him. Kishor was cornered by the TMC leadership after the BJP made some impressive strides in the 2019 elections.
BJP leaders have already appointed at least seven MPs and MLA, claiming that it is only a matter of time before lawmakers from the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal resign from the party and join the BJP.
“Mamata Banerjee has sent a strong and clear message to all the rebels within the party. If they need to stay within the party, they will have to work for the party. Those who speak out against the party will not be tolerated. She, however, did not name a leader, ”said a senior TMC leader who attended Banerjee’s virtual meeting with TMC leaders from across the state.
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