Trinamool Congress Suvendu Adhikari resigned as Minister of Transport and Irrigation
Highlight
- Senior leaders Saugata Roy, Sudip Banerjee met with Suvendu Adhikari
- “Suvendu keeps the Trinamool,” Roy said after meeting
- Suvendu Adhikari had resigned from Bengal’s cabinet days ago
Calcutta:
In a breakthrough for the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, former rebel minister Suvendu Adhikari, who resigned from Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet last Friday, resolved his differences with the party and will not resign from him.
Trinamool Congressional Senior MP Saugata Roy, tasked by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with negotiating a truce with Nandigram’s 49-year-old MLA, who appeared to be on the verge of parting ways, said Tuesday: “Suvendu is staying with him. Trinamool “. An understanding is reached. “
In addition to Saugata Roy, Trinamool Senior MP Sudip Banerjee was also present at the meeting.
The understanding came after a two-hour meeting attended by, among others, Mr. Adhikari and Abhishek Banerjee, a Trinamool MP and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew.
Banerjee had severely criticized Adhikari at a rally in Diamond Harbor on Sunday. “I didn’t come by parachute or elevator to get to where I am,” Banerjee said. Without naming Banerjee, Adhikari had previously accused him of taking a shortcut to climb the party hierarchy.
“If I had used a parachute or a ladder, I would not have to fight from a tough constituency like Diamond Harbor to become a deputy. I would have stood from South Kolkata, which is my local district,” Banerjee said. “My family and I would also have held many positions,” he added in a clear attack on Adhikari.
East Midnapore is the territory of Adhikari. He was twice elected to the Tamluk parliament in that district. His assembly seat, Nandigram, is also in East Midnapore. Adhikari’s father and brother are deputies of the Trinamool Congress. Another brother is president of a civic body. Mr. Adhikari kept three portfolios until he resigned.
After Mr. Banerjee’s verbal assault on Mr. Adhikari, an approach seemed out of place. Getting rival leaders to sit face to face after bitter attacks and counterattacks could be described as a feat of negotiation.
Also at the meeting was election strategist Prashant Kishor, who had gone to Mr. Adhikari’s home in Kathi, 150 km from Calcutta, to speak, but had to return without meeting him.
“No agreement was reached, an understanding was only reached after discussions between all of us,” Roy said.
Adhikari did not respond to messages on her phone. Roy said he would speak to the media about his position soon.
Sources in the Trinamool Congress say they were prepared to deal with Adhikari’s departure should the eventuality occur. But it cannot be denied that his departure would harm the party, especially the head of the next assembly elections.
Mr. Adhikari had been in charge of organizing the party in various districts, including Malda and Murshidabad, as well as Purulia and Bankura. He had built a network of party workers, many of whom had been making disgruntled noises after Adhikari appeared to rebel.
Some analysts said that Adhikari’s departure would have hurt the Trinamool Congress by up to 45 or 50 seats in the assembly. Others see no more than 30. Not just numbers, his departure would have hit party morale.
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