How Mamata Banerjee clipped Abhishek's wings amid anger against 'bhaipo'

Ever since the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was routed a month ago, the anger in Bengal's lanes and within the party's fractured corridors was not directed primarily at supremo Mamata Banerjee. It flowed towards one person - MP Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata's 'bhaipo (nephew)' and the party's de facto No.2. Cries of 'bhaipo chor (thief)' followed him wherever he went. Abhishek was also at the centre of the rebellion that rocked Trinamool. The question was whether Mamata would crack down on her own nephew? The TMC chief curtailed Abhishek's authority within the party but retained him as the party's national general secretary.

On Friday, as Mamata carried out an organisational reshuffle, she sent out a clear political message. While Abhishek was reappointed as the party's national general secretary, Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen were named as joint secretaries.

MAMATA REVAMPS TMC STRUCTURE

Now, Derek and Dola Sen are seen as among Mamata's closest aides. While officially Trinamool said they would "assist" Abhishek in running the organisation, the move was widely seen by political observers as Mamata's bid to clip his wings.

Thus, Abhishek will no longer be able to wield the same degree of unchecked authority within the party. There will be checks and balances. The appointment of Derek and Dola is particularly significant. Both are seasoned TMC leaders with direct access to Mamata.

"The political significance lies in Dola Sen's inclusion. Widely regarded as one of Mamata's closest confidantes, she is likely to serve as her eyes and ears within the party's national organisational structure," tweeted political analyst and author Sayantan Ghosh.

This basically ensures a collective leadership at the helm of Trinamool rather than power being concentrated at the hands of an individual.

Moreover, Abhishek loyalist Trinankur Bhattacharya was removed as president of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the party's student wing, and replaced by Priyanka Adhikari.

In a broader perspective, the moves signalled Mamata's determination to reassert control over the party as it faces its gravest crisis since its formation in 1998.

However, the move did not enthuse the rebel faction led by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Ritabrata Banerjee. "Continuing to place trust in the person under whose leadership the party collapsed at the grassroots level amounts to a loss of faith in the people," Ritabrata told Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika.

The remark was viewed as a swipe at Abhishek being retained as the national general secretary.

In fact, at the heart of the rebellion by Ritabrata and 57 other MLAs was the forged signatures row that had put Abhishek's role in the spotlight.

Ritabrata alleged that the signatures of several TMC MLAs were forged in a letter Abhishek sent to the Bengal Assembly Speaker proposing Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition. The row became the bulwark against which 58 MLAs defied the TMC leadership and seized control of the party's legislative wing.

Abhishek's role is now at the centre of a CID probe.

HOW ANGER AGAINST ABHISHEK PILED UP?

The anger against Abhishek had been brewing for weeks. After the poll drubbing, all the grievances, anger, and allegations of TMC leaders were directed at Abhishek and his high-handed corporate-style of functioning.

Senior voices like MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar suggested that political consultancy firm I-PAC, which was roped in by Abhishek to manage TMC's campaign, was behind the party's crushing defeat as it undermined the grassroots workers.

Other leaders have also echoed the sentiment, alleging that Abhishek ran a parallel party structure with the help of I-PAC, which curtailed Mamata's control over her own party.

TMC MLA Krishnendu Choudhury told Anandabazar Patrika that Abhishek destroyed the party "bit by bit". He claimed that Mamata knew everything, but could not do anything.

In fact, from candidate selection to booth management strategy, everything has Abhishek's imprint. Thus, the Trinamool's defeat was as much a referendum on the 'Abhishek model' as it was on Mamata's governance.

Abhishek even got a taste of the public anger that had been building up against him. Last week, the Diamond Harbour MP was attacked by locals in Sonarpur with eggs and stones as he went to visit the family of a TMC worker killed in post-poll violence. Abhishek, who had to be hospitalised, claimed the BJP planned the attack.

The BJP alleged that the anger was a result of extortion syndicates that used to be run by TMC goons. In fact, a roadside extortion racket through illegal checkpoints that had become routine on highways during the TMC rule came to be known as 'Bhaipo tax'. The BJP, which made this a key plank during its campaign, has now cracked down on such gangs.

WHAT'S BEHIND THE ANGER AGAINST ABHISHEK

But what's behind such anger against Abhishek? To understand it, we must look at what Mamata and Abhishek symbolised to the people of Bengal.

The journey from Mamata to Bengal's 'Didi' did not happen overnight. She earned Bengal's love through decades of grassroots struggle - a street fighter who faced police batons, staged hunger strikes and built Trinamool brick-by-brick. She is the woman who ended 34 years of Left rule through the Nandigram and Singur protests.

In short, Mamata earned her position. However, Abhishek did not have such roots, nor is he a mass leader. He was parachuted into the party's leadership by his aunt. He was soon seen as the de facto No.2 - a fact that did not sit well with party veterans like Mukul Roy and Suvendu Adhikari, who gave their sweat and blood to the party. Suvendu eventually quit the party in 2020 and joined the BJP. He is now the Chief Minister.

It is against this backdrop that Mamata carried out the reshuffle in the party. While it was widely expected that there would be no direct action against her nephew, Mamata seems to have opted for a middle path -- reaffirming her faith in Abhishek while curbing his autonomy.

- Ends