Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Credit: PTI Photo
Kolkata: The statements made by Trinamool leaders that reignited the senior-versus-junior debate in the context of running the party, has provided Bengal’s Opposition an opportunity to take a dig at Mamata's party.
Congress and BJP are seeing the development as unfolding of the intra-party differences in the public domain. Opposition leaders, citing different reasons, claim that this is the beginning of TMC's end.
TMC leaders, however, stand by their different opinions, while maintaining that Mamata is the party chief and Abhishek Banerjee is playing the role of 'commander' as national general secretary.
The different voices have generated an impression in the public domain that the party’s leaders are divided on the lines of 'seniors', and 'juniors' – that is in two 'camps', when it comes to sharing party’s leadership.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Lok Sabha MP and senior Congress leader from West Bengal claimed that the 'script' for the senior-junior tussle has been prepared at the 'BJP-office'.
Chowdhury’s comments further complicate the Congress-TMC relations in Bengal. Mamata had recently stated that while there’s an I.N.D.I.A alliance, nationally, it’s TMC that’s fit to fight BJP in West Bengal.
Chowdhury alleged that a section of leaders in TMC are vying to be in the party chief’s good books. The people of Bengal can assess TMC’s future. “The days of Trinamool are numbered,” he claimed.
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh added that people voted for TMC to defeat the CPI(M). Ghosh added that BJP isn’t affected by which of the parties is in power.
“We knew that this party would go away one day…,” he said, questioning why action is not being taken against those who are involved in corruption.
Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson, countered Chowdhury’s statements saying that the leader should focus on his own party.
“Trinamool Congress is one, and united,” Ghosh said.
The party is like a family with leaders of different generations. Even if issue-based differences are visible, when it comes to elections, the party stands united, Ghosh added.