Mamata Banerjee on Monday asked Trinamool Congress MLAs to zero in on at least three names each for consideration as block presidents of the party in their respective constituencies and submit their recommendations to minister Aroop Biswas by February 25.
During a half-an-hour meeting with TMC legislators at the Assembly, the chief minister said she would take the final decision on appointing the new party presidents of 341 blocks in the state.
“Give three names (recommendations for block presidents) to Aroop Biswas and I will review those personally. I will take the final decision on whom to appoint and where,” a senior party MLA quoted Mamata as saying at the meeting, which was held before the budget session began with governor C.V. Ananda
Bose’s address.
Another minister, who was at the meeting, said Mamata also hinted at changing the office-bearers of the party’s student or youth wings at the state and district levels following recommendations from the MLAs.
While Mamata rolled out a process for the selection of block presidents across the state, several TMC insiders wondered about the fate of a list that Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had drawn up to bring in changes at various levels of the organisation.
Abhishek had announced at the July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally last year that the party would act within three months and replace organisational and local body heads, who had not performed well in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. During an informal discussion with a group of reporters on November 7, the Diamond Harbour MP said he had submitted his recommendations to Mamata for final clearance.
“As Didi sought names of block presidents from the MLAs, it seems she may not go with the previous list submitted by Abhishek,” said a senior TMC leader before adding that she was giving a message that she would have the
final word.
Since the 2021 Assembly elections, Abhishek’s Camac Street office has been looking after the organisational matters in the party. The role of his office, multiple sources said, however, declined after the Lok Sabha polls, in which the party won 29 out of
42 seats.
Explaining the change in the scheme of TMC things, a source said: “A lot of party-related decisions are now taken by state president Subrata Bakshi’s office.”
“The cold relationship between Harish Chatterjee Street and Camac Street has lasted longer than what we had expected... Didi has already taken sole control of organizational affairs, which she never did earlier since Abhishek’s rise as the party’s No. 2,” said a party insider.
During Monday’s meeting, Mamata iterated her control over the party and asked the MLAs to focus solely on organizational work in their areas ahead of next year’s Assembly elections and steer clear of infighting.
“Didi clearly said that she would not tolerate any infighting in her party, and everyone must work hand-in-hand to ensure a one-third majority in the party. She also scolded a few MLAs from districts like West Burdwan for continuing factionalism in the party,” said an MLA.
During the meeting, she praised the way the party’s Itahar MLA Mosaraf Hussein reached out to every micro-pocket in his constituency before chiding those breaching party discipline.
“Barbar khoma kora jabe na (It is not possible to pardon again and again),” a minister quoted Mamata as saying in the meeting.
‘Mallick innocent’
Mamata said former minister Jyoti Priya Mallick was granted bail because the Enforcement Directorate, which had arrested him for his alleged involvement in a ration scam, could not furnish any evidence against him.
Mallick, the former food and supply minister, was arrested by the ED in October 2023 as the central agency found his involvement in the ration scam. The former minister was granted bail on January 15 by a PMLA court in Calcutta.
“Didi said that he (Jyoti P riya) was arrested for political reasons and kept in jail for a long time without any evidence. Now the court granted him bail because the ED could not submit any evidence against him,” a TMC MLA who attended the meeting said.
