TMC 26th Anniversary: Didi's message overshadowed by intense infighting

Kolkata: As the Trinamul Congress turned 26 on Monday, the old and new guard of West Bengal’s ruling party started the new year by attacking each other and exposing their internal rifts that buried their supremo Mamata Banerjee’s foundation day message.

The war of words escalated to such a level that the chief minister called her young MP nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, who has been vocal within the TMC seeking tickets for greenhorns in the coming Lok Sabha polls, to her Kalighat residence in the evening seeking a way out.

In the morning, the TMC chief stated in her message: “To serve Maa, Mati, Manush, the journey of the Trinamul Congress began on January 1, 1998. In this journey, our main objectives have been to honour the motherland, uphold the interests of our state and to work relentlessly for protection of the democratic rights of our people.”

She elaborated: “Even today, each worker and supporter of our party is committed and pledged to these objectives. I humbly honour and respect their dedication and self-sacrifice. Today, the Trinamul Congress family is blessed with love and affection of one and all.”

Ms Banerjee added: “It is on the strength of your unflinching support that we shall continue to fight for everyone in this great democratic country. No surrender to any evil force: in defiance of all terror, we will continue our life-long struggles for the common people of our country. My humble regards to all our workers, supporters and members of the ‘Maa Mati Manush’ family.”

As the day progressed, daggers were, however, out in her party. In a veiled jibe to Mr Banerjee, TMC state chief Subrata Bakshi said: “He is our party’s national general secretary. I believe if he contests the upcoming polls, he will not step back from taking the battlefield and will fight under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership.”

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh, an ardent follower of Mr Banerjee, countered Mr Bakshi and held him responsible for the party supremo’s defeat in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly polls.

“There is a gap in his sentence construction. Where does the question of Mr Banerjee’s step back arise? He is, after all, strengthening our party supremo’s hands. Ms Banerjee had sent them (Mr Bakshi and others) to ensure her victory in Nandigram. They failed to sell her name there. Why did they fail? Is our party safe in such hands?”

But the biggest revelation came from Kolkata mayor and state urban development minister Firhad Hakim, who publicly admitted that there was corruption within the TMC. “Some of our people have certainly committed wrong and got involved in corruption. That does not mean all of us are wrong. Corruption is a sin,” he said at a TMC foundation day event.