Mamata gave the directions during a meeting with party leaders from Paschim Medinipur district which was held at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata on Wednesday. The meeting was also attended by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and the party’s state president Subrata Bakshi.
During TMC’s Foundation Day celebrations last week, Subrata and Kunal Ghosh – who is considered close to Abhishek – had traded barbs. After Bakshi and a section of TMC leaders had claimed that “without Mamata, the TMC would not exist”, Ghosh had accused them of showing “pseudo-loyalty” to the CM and said that Abhishek was “very much at the forefront”.
According to Trinamool leaders who attended Wednesday’s meeting, Mamata directed Bakshi to select names of party leaders “who could be appointed TMC spokespersons and could brief the public about the party’s stand on various issues.”
State Water Resource Development Minister Manas Bhuiyan, who was present during the meeting, said, “The CM asked us to stay united and take our fight to the people. There might be differences of opinion among leaders but they have to be discussed within the party and not publicly.”
Rubishing reports of “infighting within TMC”, the state minister said, “There is no quarreling among party leaders. Our chairperson has blessed us today and now we will reap the benefits with the support of the people. The candidates for the Lok Sabha elections will be finalised by the party soon.”
“Not only in Bengal, there are old and new generations in India as well as in the world. You have found a news item and keep on sensationalising it. However, there is no “old vs new guard” in our party. Remember Mamata Banerjee will lead and Abhishek Banerjee is her Chief General. We will together fight against BJP’s politics of religious divide, casteism, and deprivation. We will also fight against the CPI(M)’s violence and attacks on the people of Bengal,” Bhuiyan said.
Sources said the meeting was convened as part of TMC’s preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, which are slated to be held this year. “Mamata Banerjee would be meeting TMC leaders of every district. Next Friday, she is expected to sit down with TMC leaders from Murshidabad,” a source said.
“The first meeting with the CM and Paschim Medinipur leaders has given us a political direction and we will all fight together under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee…We will continue our fight for the rights of tribal communities, SC/ST, minorities and women,” said Bhuiyan.
The developments in the state’s ruling party drew sharp reactions from the opposition BJP.
“A circus is going on within the TMC. The entire state is burning because of a lawless situation, but the ruling party is busy with its own differences,” BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.
— With PTI inputs