Upset bigwig quits Bengal ministry, exposes rift in TMC ahead of polls

In a development that showed a simmering dissent within the TMC just ahead of the 2021 assembly polls, state minister Suvendu Adhikari resigned from the ministry on Friday (November 27). Mr. Adhikari was holding the transport and irrigation portfolios in the Mamata Banerjee government.

In a brief resignation letter sent to the chief minister, he, however, did not cite any reason for his decision.

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The latest development comes a day after he stepped down as the chairman of the Hooghly River Bridge Commission. Mr. Adhikari, who had recently expressed his unhappiness over the decisions taken by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee and election strategist Prashant Kishor, was immediately replaced by MP Kalyan Banerjee.

Adhikari, who has a strong influence over 35 assembly constituencies in the state including West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Birbhum districts has also been distancing himself from the party, sparking speculations of the jump to the BJP. He has been organising programmes without the party banner and skipping key party meetings.

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A TMC leader that The Indian Express spoke to said, Adhikari’s resignation could be the beginning of his exit from the party.

It is also being speculated that Suvendu’s father TMC MP Sisir Adhikari and his two brothers may soon follow in his footsteps and join the BJP.

“The Adhikari family always decides as a family. So, if Suvendu decides to quit the party, then it is inevitable that his father and two brothers will also leave. We have to see what happens next,” IE quoted a senior TMC member as saying.

Sisir Adhikari, however, refused to comment on the matter and said it was the call of the chief minister to decide who was appropriate for the chairman’s post.

Reports said the chief minister had sent Prashant Kishor to Adhikari’s residence to hold talks with him, but Suvendu refused to meet him. TMC leader Sougata Roy has now been entrusted with pacifying the disgruntled leader.

Adhikari’s resignation coincides with the exit of Coochbehar Dakshin MLA Mihir Goswami from the party on Thursday. In a Facebook post, Goswami said that he has been “insulted and neglected” and will not be able to continue in the party.

“On October 3^rd after announcing my resignation from all organisational responsibilities of the Trinamool Congress, I had also said that I can also resign from the post of MLA if the party supremo instructs. It has already been two months. I regularly share my thoughts with people on social media. Those who have welcomed my thoughts, I would like to tell them again that over the last ten years, I have been repeatedly neglected and humiliated within the party as a dedicated worker,” he said in the post.

Goswami said the TMC was no more the party it was 22 years ago and it was time for him to move on.

Even though chief minister Banerjee sent senior TMC leader Rabindranath Ghosh to Goswami’s house to cajole him into reconsidering his decision, the talks bore no result.

Both Goswami and Suvendu had accused Prashant Kishor of interference. Many leaders in the party have also been unhappy over the growing clout of Mamata’s nephew Abhishek.

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In an attempt to pacify the upset leaders, Mamata recently said she is open to rectifications if mistakes have been committed.

“The TMC will rectify if some mistakes have been committed. There can misunderstanding or someone may be angry with some individuals, but please don’t misunderstand the party for that,” she said.