In the biggest political shake-up in West Bengal, senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Madan Mitra has quit the party and joined a rebel group of people led by Ritabrata Banerjee. It is the biggest political blow for the ruling party in recent months and comes at a time when internal dissent and political friction are growing in the TMC.
He resigned, Mitra said yesterday he has quit all party posts, but he will continue to be a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). The way Mitra announced he was quitting shows that some senior leaders are unhappy with the party’s leadership and decision-making process.
Mitra went on attacking TMC national secretary Abhishek Banerjee in public immediately after his resignation. He said he had advised Abhishek to step down for six months to a year to reorganise and unite the party and reintegrate with the grassroots workers in the party.
"I had asked him to step aside for six months or a year so we could strengthen the party. After that he could return and take charge again. But he refused," Mitra said.
The veteran politician said Trinamool Congress was losing public support because it had become overly centred around one individual.
"The party is sinking. The boat has already gone under. People are suffering, but it seems the priority was to save one individual at any cost," he remarked, saying the party no longer functions collectively.
According to Mitra, “The party belongs to everyone, but it now seems to function only for Abhishek.”
Despite his criticism, Mitra struck a conciliatory tone in talking to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He told her to take a wider view of the situation in the country and to understand the changing political situations and said political circumstances would change over time.
"I request Mamata ji to see this as a marathon. Our paths will cross again and time will decide who moves ahead," he said.
Mitra’s resignation comes at a sensitive time for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate the alleged municipal recruitment scam in West Bengal.
Just one day before his resignation, the ED summoned Mitra’s wife and his two sons for questioning in relation to the money laundering investigation. During the course of the investigation, officials said, financial transactions involving members of Mitra’s family were discovered.
"During the investigation, there were some financial transactions and the names of the MLA’s wife and his two sons were revealed in the process. They have been summoned to record their statements," a senior ED official told PTI.
The agency said the investigation is still ongoing and no conclusions should be drawn at this stage. The investigation is ongoing and the documentary and financial evidence we have will be supported and all those who come out of the investigation are being questioned in the legal process, officials said.
The summons follow a series of raids by the Enforcement Directorate in recent weeks at several properties of Madan Mitra as part of the ongoing recruitment scam investigation.
Politically, Mitra's exit could have far-reaching implications for the Trinamool Congress going into the next political battles. His joining Ritabrata Banerjee's rebel wing is indicative of the growing frustration of some in this party who are worried about leadership concentration in the party and organisational functioning.
Although the TMC leadership has not yet responded to Mitra’s allegations, his resignation is also likely to set off political debate in West Bengal in the coming days. Meanwhile, the parallel ED investigation will also keep the veteran leader in the spotlight as political and legal issues continue to play out.
