Trinamul Congress leader Kunal Ghosh wants to resign from two party posts
Telegraph | 2 March 2024
In an embarrassment for Bengal's ruling dispensation, Trinamul leader Kunal Ghosh on Friday went public with his desire to resign from two party posts — spokesperson and state general secretary — while later reiterating his allegiance to chief minister Mamata Banerjee and party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
"I want to quit the post of state general secretary and spokesperson of @AITCofficial. I am a misfit in the (Trinamul) system and can't continue my work. I will work as a party's soldier. Don't spread the rumour about my changing allegiance (to another party)," Ghosh wrote on his X social media handle on Friday morning claiming that he will be a part of Trinamul and Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek will remain his leaders.
A source in Trinamul said Ghosh had already communicated his desire to resign from the posts to the party's chairperson Mamata and Abhishek on Friday. However, his resignations have not been accepted so far.
"Many inside the party may have differences with him, but he is one of a handful of leaders who always come forward to defend the party from most discomforting issues like Sandeshkhali. Yes, many have problems with the way of attacking Opposition parties, but he is dedicated. It took us by surprise when we saw that Ghosh wiped away his Trinamul role and changed his X bio to journalist and social worker," said a source.
A section of party leaders said they assumed something wrong with the party and Ghosh when he did not take part in the vital news conference held on Thursday in the aftermath of Sheikh Shahjahan's arrest later on Wednesday night.
"He is a face found every day to address the media to counter Opposition parties and defend Trinamul Congress. It was surprising for us when we did not find him among the party leaders fielded to speak after Shahjahan's arrest. Interestingly, he was the man who had been defending the party on the Sandeshkhali issue since February 7, when the first protest took place on Sandeshkhali island," a Trinamul leader said.
A source in Trinamul said that Ghosh had differences with a senior party leader and MP, especially those who always keep silent when the party faces a crisis. He earlier also turned up targeting a group of leaders for not mounting an attack on the BJP, especially the leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, despite a scathing attack on the party's two top leaders —Mamata and Abhishek.
A Trinamul insider said Ghosh was displeased after he was not invited to take part in a meeting in Calcutta to discuss the party's plans for the March 10 rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Calcutta. As part of his displeasure, he mounted an attack on one of the party leaders, although anonymously on her social media handle.
Later during an interview with ABP Ananda, Ghosh did not leave anything to the imagination and made it clear that Trinamul MP Sudip Bandhyopadhyay was at the centre of his attack.