Facing desertion by MPs, Mamata Banerjee clips Abhishek’s wings

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress was jolted Friday by speculation of an impending split in its parliamentary wing as several of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs converged on Delhi, prompting party chief Mamata Banerjee to clip her nephew and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s wings in a last-ditch attempt to stall a repeat of what the 58-strong rebel bloc did in the assembly. She also overhauled the party organisation from top to bottom.

A two-thirds split to beat the anti-defection law would require at least 19 MPs to break away. Sources said some of the MPs still in Bengal were likely to reach the national capital next week.

Mamata will reach Delhi on June 8 along with Abhishek and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien to attend the INDIA bloc meeting.

At a national working committee (NWC) meeting at her Kalighat residence, Mamata appointed O’Brien and RS MP Dola Sen as joint national secretaries, which translates into a direct dilution of Abhishek’s authority. The Diamond Harbour MP’s clout and style of functioning are said to be the primary reasons for the mutiny within the party, with the rebel bloc alleging that he rarely interacts with party workers and operates in a syndicate-driven silo.

Among the disgruntled MPs, Jagadish Chandra Basunia (Cooch Behar) is already in Delhi, ostensibly to attend to an ailing relative. Two actor-MPs are likely to reach the capital next week, sources said. Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who continued her tirade against the party brass Friday, denied any role in engineering a parliamentary split. “I contest allegations that I am trying to create a rift within the parliamentary party and trying to influence other MPs. I am in Kolkata and have not been to Delhi,” she said.

Four Lok Sabha MPs — Abhishek, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Kalyan Banerjee and Mala Roy — attended the meet. Krishnanagar MP Mahua Mo-itra and Dum Dum MP Saugata Roy weren’t present but ha-ve thrown their weight behind Mamata, as has Bardhaman-Durgapur MP Kirti Azad.

“Operation Lotus is BJP’s politics. They try to break parties using money power and threats. They have done it in Maharashtra and Bihar. We have to face it. Initially, it will be very disheartening, but if one can hold out, then we can absorb the immediate impact,” Saugata said.

Murshidabad MP Abu Taher Khan said, “Irrespective of who is in control, I will toe the party line and do what the party asks me to do.”

The remaining party MPs did not spell out their stance.

Expelled first-time MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, who led the split in the party’s legislative wing and has since been named leader of the opposition in the assembly, said he hadn’t spoken to any MP in the past seven days and could not say what they would do. “Nobody can say what will happen tomorrow. Have patience,” ANI quoted him as saying.