Mamata to directly speak with disgruntled TMC leaders ahead of Assembly polls

In a bid to quell the growing discontent within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had decided to speak with the disgruntled leaders herself.

TMC sources said that instead of deputing senior party leaders as mediators, the party supremo had taken matters into her own hands to keep her flock together ahead of the Assembly election next year.

TMC insiders revealed that several senior leaders and MLAs were not happy with the role of poll strategist Prashant Kishor in the party. “Their main complaint is 'why should an outsider like Kishor lecture them regarding their duties and organizational matters?'” They also said that the chief minister wanted to resolve the issue before the Assembly elections.

Several senior TMC leaders, including former minister and trusted lieutenant of the chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari, who recently joined the BJP, had expressed displeasure over Kishor’s way of functioning.

According to a senior TMC leader, the chief minister would soon speak to Forest Minister Rajib Banerjee, who had recently expressed his displeasure over the party’s functioning in public. Banerjee had openly stated that those who resort to “yesmanship” get high scores in the party and since he was unable to do so, his score was low.

“It’s not just heavyweight leaders like Banerjee, the party supremo will also directly speak to other disgruntled leaders to address their grievances,” said a senior TMC leader. He also said that Kishor had started to play a role in even candidate selection for the next Assembly election, but the chief minister had already conveyed to party leaders that she would handle the matter herself.

Incidentally, Mamata’s move to depute senior TMC MP Saugata Roy and Sudip Bandyopadhyay to pacify former minister Suvendu Adhikari fell through as the disgruntled leader eventually joined the BJP.