The Ritabrata faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) seems to be building its own organisation across the state as senior leaders within the ‘rebel’ camp are trying to regain their political base in their respective districts.
Party sources said more organisational changes are likely before and after the July 21 programme in Kolkata.
In Siliguri, some councillors have joined the Congress. In Malda, several youth leaders of the TMC have also switched to the Congress. A few other former TMC leaders have also left the party in different districts.
Senior TMC leader Aloke Chakravorty has returned to the Congress-backed INTUC, adding another twist to the changing political situation.
In Darjeeling district, former Deputy Mayor Ranjan Sarkar has been appointed district president. Sources in the Ritabrata camp said a few leaders from the hills may soon be given organisational responsibilities. At present, however, no hill leader has been included in the newly announced list.
Former Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb, who resigned from the Siliguri Municipal Corporation after the political change, has still not decided his future. According to his close associates, nobody from the Ritabrata camp has formally invited him to join. However, he has openly criticised Abhishek Banerjee in recent days.
Political observers have also noticed a change in the tone of several newly appointed district presidents. While many have criticised TMC (Kalighat faction) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, some have also indirectly questioned the leadership of party chief Mamata Banerjee.
In the party’s trade union wing, Nirjal Day has been appointed president of INTTUC in Darjeeling district. He is expected to focus mainly on tea garden workers and labour issues.
In Cooch Behar, veteran leader Rabindranath Ghosh, one of the founding faces of the TMC in the district and a former North Bengal Development Minister, has been replaced as district president. He had earlier served as Chairman of the Cooch Behar Municipality. His differences with the party leadership became visible after he was asked to step down from the civic post. Moreover, his long-standing political rivalry with former North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha had weakened the party’s internal unity in the district.
Speaking about the present situation, Rabindranath Ghosh said he had fought beside Mamata Banerjee from the beginning, but claimed that in the later years she no longer had full control over the party. He alleged that corruption by some inefficient leaders had damaged the organisation and held both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee responsible for the party’s decline.
In Malda, Prasun Banerjee, a former IPS officer and a state spokesperson, has been appointed district president. Mohua Gope continues as district president in Jalpaiguri, Binod Minj has been given charge in Alipurduar, and Sandeep Biswas has been appointed district president in Uttar Dinajpur.
In Dakshin Dinajpur, Biplab Mitra has taken over the organisational responsibility as state president. Now Anisur Rahaman is district president of Dakshin Dinajpur.
Party sources said the Ritabrata camp is preparing more announcements in the coming days. The July 21 programme is expected to be used as a platform to announce further organisational changes and outline its future political strategy.