Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee took a step towards anointing her political successor on Saturday by elevating her nephew, the Trinamul Congress’s youth wing chief and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek, as the party’s only all India general secretary.

“Didi is doing the groundwork for the 2024 general elections. With Abhishek’s elevation, he will play a much bigger role in the party now. Unlike others like Suvendu (Adhikary), Didi cannot just remove Abhishek in a day. After all he is her own nephew whom she has groomed,” said a Trinamul leader after a 30-minute meeting at Trinamul Bhavan on Saturday.

“Abhishek’s elevation removes any doubt about who is going to be her political successor,” he added.

From his days as “Balak Abhishek” when he was brought into the party fold to contest his first election in 2014 from Diamond Harbour, the last seven years have turned out well for the young satrap, the latest in India’s long tryst with politics of dynasties.

Saturday’s elevation indicates the growing importance of Abhishek in the party.

Though Mamata has never hidden her aversion to dynasty politics—the reason she went public on not giving tickets to people born with a golden spoon—her actions have been contrary to her claims.

At the annual July 21 rally of 2011, barely two months since she became chief minister, Mamata had floated the Trinamul Yuva to accommodate Abhishek. Like then, as well as in 2014, her decision had raised eyebrows, given that she has often claimed she does not have a “family”.

The Trinamul Yuva, now disbanded, was floated to give Abhishek a platform without disturbing the party’s organisation. Son of Mamata’s brother Amit, Abhishek has an MBA degree and his first foray into politics was campaigning for the Trinamul nominees in the 2011 Assembly polls and working behind the scenes with select members from the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad and the party’s cyber team.

Mamata had told a public gathering at Diamond Harbour that at the age of two, Abhishek had promised to avenge the vicious attack on her, referring to the assault by CPM goons in 1990. “He was barely two years old when CPM goons hit me on the head. O amake ese bolechhilo, ‘pisi, boro hoye ami badla nebo’ (He came and told, me, ‘aunty, I will avenge this when I grow up),” Mamata had said on May 4, 2014.

The “revenge” was in the form of his victory in Diamond Harbour twice and bringing one of CPI(M)’s youngest leaders, Ritabrata Banerjee, to the Trinamul fold. Along with Abhishek, the CPI(M) turncoat -- he used to head the party’s SC/ST cell -- was on Saturday made in charge of the Trinamul’s trade union front.

In the last five years, since Mukul Roy fell out of favour and quit Trinamul, Abhishek inducted several leaders of his choice from other parties, like, for instance, former Congress veteran Manas Bhunia.

"He does not trust most of the leaders who are close to Mamata di. On his insistence Sonali Guha was dropped from the candidates’ list this time," said a Trinamul leader.

Abhishek was also instrumental in recruiting Prashant Kishore which has paid rich dividends for the party and Mamata’s becoming chief minister for the third time.

Suvendu factor

Abhishek’s entry to the Trinamul had sparked a feud with another rising leader, also regarded as the satrap of another dynasty though far from the seat of power in Calcutta. That man was Suvendu Adhikary. Setting up the Trinamul Yuva had pitched a young Abhishek directly with the Adhikary family scion, whose biggest political victory has come in the form of his victory against Mamata in Nandigram.

Abhishek’s journey in politics has almost mirrored that of his celebrated aunt. Like Mamata, Abhishek too has borne the brunt of public assault though not as violent as what his aunt had to face.

On January 5, 2015, while addressing a rally in East Midnapore’s Chandipur, Abhishek was slapped. The incident happened soon after Mamata had given him charge of the party’s youth wing as well.

On Saturday, after Abhishek’s elevation as all India general secretary, Bengali actress Sayani Ghosh, who contested unsuccessfully from the Asansol South seat, was made the party’s youth wing president.

‘One man one post’

On Saturday, Mamata spoke of the Trinamul adhering to the “one man, one post” rule, a lesson she seems to have imbibed from the Adhikary episode. After Suvendu joined the BJP, his father Sisir, though still a Trinamul MP, campaigned for the BJP in the Assembly elections. During the campaign, Mamata had repeatedly spoken about how much she “gave” to the Adhikaries referring to the numerous posts the Adhikary clan held in East Midnapore district.

Mukul Roy had held the post of all-India general secretary till he fell out with Mamata and quit the party in 2017 to join the BJP. Mukul’s importance in Trinamul’s scheme of things, and gradually in Bengal politics, was largely because of his position in the organisation, the Number Two in the hierarchy.

“Mamata di made it clear that she was in favour of one leader, one post. (Subrata) Bakshi da held the two posts for four years now,” said the Trinamul leader referring to his holding the post of state party chief and also all India general-secretary.

More changes likely

Another key appointment was former state labour minister Purnendu Basu being named as head of the farmers’ wing of the party.

Mamata also held a separate meeting with MPs and senior leaders of the party.

Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said major changes will also be made within a month in district units. A senior Trinamul leader said while the final call will be taken by Mamata, the stamp of Abhishek will be there in these changes.

At the second meeting, Mamata is understood to have told all her ministers not to use the beacon. She also warned party leaders against getting embroiled in any corrupt activities like illegal coal and sand mining and unfair relief distribution, all of which the Trinamul has been accused of in the last 10 years in Bengal.

The Trinamul’s core committee comprising Partha Chatterjee, Subrata Bakshi, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Gautam Deb has been asked to keep “watch” on the activities of the party leaders and workers.