On foundation day infighting in TMC erupts over comments by state President

Kolkata : On the occasion of the 27th foundation day of Trinamool Congress, infighting has erupted within the party over a comment by its West Bengal President Subrata Bakshi on TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

At the foundation day programme at Trinamool Bhavan on Monday morning, Bakshi, while projecting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the principal face of the party in the Lok Sabha elections this year, also said that he was confident that Abhishek Banerjee would not leave the field and continue his Lok Sabha battle for the party with Mamata Banerjee in the forefront.

However, party spokesman Kunal Ghosh claimed in a section of the media that he has reservations about certain words uttered by Bakshi. According to Ghosh, Abhishek Banerjee continues to be on the field and the party will benefit if the leadership listens to what he says.

On Monday, Ghosh, without naming anyone, also claimed that a section within the Trinamool Congress leadership was not serious about countering the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari’s constant targeting of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee.

“If the Leader of the Opposition attacks our leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, it is the duty of everyone in Trinamool Congress to counter that attack with equal vociferousness. But some leaders who are occupying multiple posts in the party as well as administration are just making some loaded statements. This is not the right way,” Ghosh said.

Earlier in the day at the programme, the state municipal affairs and urban development minister and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim admitted that there had been some irregularities in appointments in different state government jobs. “Cash for a job is equal to eating the flesh of your own mother,” he said.