Kolkata: Amid a massive political crisis within the Trinamool Congress, party leader Abhishek Banerjee has issued an open challenge to rebel leaders. He stated that if the dissidents return to the party under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, he will resign from his position within a single hour. He strongly accused the defectors of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party, claiming they quit the party only to shift the blame onto him.
The Trinamool Congress is currently facing a severe internal revolt that threatens its structural integrity. Twenty Members of Parliament, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, have formed a separate faction and openly claimed their support for the National Democratic Alliance. This rebel group includes prominent figures like Yusuf Pathan, Rachna Banerjee, Shatabdi Roy and June Malia. Furthermore, 64 out of 80 party legislators in the West Bengal Assembly have rebelled under the leadership of Ritabrata Banerjee. The dissident faction has approached the Election Commission to claim the official party name and symbol. They have also occupied the designated party office in the state assembly, electing Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition.
The crisis further deepened as senior leader Madan Mitra resigned from all party posts while retaining his legislative seat. He heavily criticised the leadership style of Abhishek Banerjee, calling it dictatorial and detrimental to the organisation. Additionally, Rajya Sabha members Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik have resigned from the upper house and the party amid widespread speculations of them joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In a parallel development, the South 24 Parganas district administration demolished the party office of Abhishek Banerjee in Amtala on Saturday. Authorities claimed the structure violated construction regulations and lacked an approved building plan. The demolition was carried out using heavy machinery under a massive security deployment comprising local police and central forces.
Reacting sharply to the bulldozer action, Abhishek Banerjee termed it a sheer political vendetta orchestrated by the local administration in collusion with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Asserting that the building had all valid legal permissions, he announced plans to urgently approach the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court if necessary. He warned that similar legal actions would be initiated against opposition party offices if a power shift occurs following the 2031 assembly elections, stating that those captured on video vandalising the premises will not escape the law.
Comments are closed.