The extent of discord within the Trinamool was underlined Thursday after veteran leader Kalyan Banerjee lashed out at Abhishek Banerjee.
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Saayoni Ghosh, and Yusuf Pathan are among the big names in a group of senior Trinamool leaders who have rebelled against party boss Mamata Banerjee after defeat in the April-May Bengal election.
NDTV accessed a letter signed by a total of 19 Trinamool lawmakers, some of whom – such as Satabdi Roy and Saayoni Ghosh – were previously staunch supporters of the ex-chief minister. A 20th – a ‘big name’, sources said – could sign soon.
The letter – addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on May 18 – states the rebels wish to distance themselves from the party and align with the ruling National Democratic Alliance. Curiously, however, the party’s own letter to Birla – requesting that Kalyan Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee’s aide, be recognised as its Chief Whip over Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar – was sent May 20.
Earlier Ghosh Dastidar confirmed a group of wantaway Trinamool leaders – she did not reveal names then – had sought separate seating arrangements and indicated it would support the BJP. Three MPs have already resigned. On Thursday, Prakash Baraik quit the Rajya Sabha, while Sushmita Dev resigned June 10 and Sukhendu Ray stood down June 8.
It is unclear if any of these three have also signed the rebels’ letter.
Separately, it is significant that the rebel leaders – Dastidar and Roy – claim the support of 20 MPs.
The Trinamool has 28 Lok Sabha MPs, meaning that if the breakaway bloc wants to be recognised as the main party (and therefore not have to resign House membership) it needs at least 19 signatures to circumvent the anti-defection law.
Trinamool hits back
Meanwhile, NDTV also spoke to Kirti Azad, one of the few Trinamool MPs still backing Mamata Banerjee.
The former cricketer hit out at the BJP for trying to poach disgruntled colleagues and alleged that those who had signed the letter had been coerced into doing so by the saffron party.
“You see the first eight (MPs to have signed the letter) are in one ink.. they agreed to sign after getting whatever terms they got (from the BJP). But some were threatened… I know three in that group were threatened. And then from the eighth signature to the 14 it is another ink…”
“Then you have Mitali (Baig, another signatory) … who was again forced. These names are added later. And then you have Mala Roy… who signed the day before yesterday,” Azad said, and then slammed the BJP over a “failed” Operation Lotus. “Well… let the traitors go then,” he declared.
Asked about the rebels skirting the anti-defection law and trying to control the Trinamool – drama that played out twice in two years in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party – Azad said they could never be the “asli Trinamool”
“You can’t just go and say ‘I am a political party… The Election Commission gives you this recognition,” he said, though he also indirectly echoed accusations over the BJP colluding with the poll body to smooth its road in such cases. “Who is at the Election Commission… who is recognised… who is the president… this BJP can do anything. This happened in Maharashtra.”
The Trinamool breakdown
Since the May election – in which the Trinamool (80 seats) was thumped by the BJP (208) and lost power for the first time in 15 years – the chorus of discontent against Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and her handling of party affairs has grown steadily.
Among the rebels’ major complaint are allegations Mamata Banerjee has lost touch with ground realities, in the state and in the party, and allowed corruption to take root in both. The rebels have also complained about the Trinamool chief’s nephew – Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s National General Secretary and second-in-command – being given too much power.
Roy, a four-time MP who has been with Mamata Banerjee since 2009, echoed that sentiment when told NDTV the former chief minister – fondly called ‘didi’ – had changed, and the scale of that change, she said, had forced her to support the BJP.
“I am leaving because our voices were unheard. I want to work for the people…but no one heard us. Only selective people had access to Mamata Banerjee.” The actor-politician also echoed corruption claims.
The extent of discord within the Trinamool was underlined Thursday after veteran leader Kalyan Banerjee lashed out at Abhishek Banerjee. “His arrogant attitude has destroyed the party…” Banerjee – one of didi’s strongest supporters – fumed.
“He thinks he is the ‘king’… Even in the bad days. When I am standing for the party, standing behind Mamata Banerjee, it is impossible for me to work. It is impossible because of this attitude of Abhishek Banerjee,” he raged.
