People keeping leadership in good humour getting importance: TMC minister

After resignation of influential TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari from the state cabinet, another minister Rajib Banerjee took potshots at the ruling party alleging that those who keep the leadership in "good humour" are brought to the forefront while hard workers are shoved to back benches. The minister's remarks does not augur well for the Trinamool Congress which is facing stiff challenge from a resurgent BJP in the state assembly elections due in April-May next year.

Indicating that Banerjee is welcomed in the saffron fold, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said, "If he wants to work with dignity, he should come out of the party." Speaking at a programme in the city on Saturday, the state forest minister claimed that there are some people in politics nowadays who think that enjoying power, and not serving people, is the goal. "It hurts me that those who are working in the interest of people and are able and hardworking are not getting due importance, while those sitting in air-conditioned chambers and think that the public can be fooled are getting importance just because they keep the people, who matter to them, in good humour." Banerjee's observation comes at a time when Adhikari, who has been at odds with the top echelons of the party, is yet to disclose his future political move.

He has resigned as minister of transport, irrigation and waterways recently but not yet resigned from the party. Adhikari was the backbone of the Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement that played a crucial role in Mamata Banerjee romping to power in 2011 and holds considerable hold in Purba and Paschim Medinipur and some other south Bengal districts.

Reacting to Banerjee's comment, Trinamool Congress (TMC) secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, "Our government does not sit in air-conditioned chambers, our government reaches out to the people at their doorsteps to provide services." Addressing a party meeting at Behala in the south- western part of the city, Chatterjee, who is education minister in the state, said that there may be some irritants in a large family but that does not disintegrate it. Rajib Banerjee was also a former minister in charge of irrigation and waterways (2011-2018), and tribal affairs and backwards classes (2018-2019). At present, he represents Domjur assembly constituency in Howrah district TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee was more blunt to Banerjee's outbursts saying that if someone wants to leave, he may do so.

"There is only one tree, Mamata Banerjee, if any one wants to leave its shade, he is free to go," Banerjee said. However, state Urban development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim sounded more accommodative when he said that Rajib Banerjee is a "good person" and has been working hard as a minister in the forest department.

"Mamata Banerjee keeps an eye on everything," he said about the allegations made by the state forest minister. The BJP chief of the state unit said that Banerjee is a good minister and no one has any complaint against him.

In an apparent jibe at Adhikari, Chatterjee said that some people are making comments about climbing stairs or using a parachute to land from the top. "But, our party is united and has only one leader.

Our goal is to reach the people under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee...we will have to fight the evil forces in the same way as we fought the CPI(M)-led Left Front," the senior minister said. Adhikari, who has been holding apolitical public rallies in southern districts of the state, had said on October 31, "Neither have I parachuted down, nor have I taken a lift to rise. I have walked up the stairs to reach where I am." Asserting that the TMC will not cede an inch of ground to the saffron brigade, Chatterjee said, "whatever or whoever may be the opponent at the battle ground, we will fight and win." Voices of dissension within the TMC ahead of the state polls are coming as a gain for the BJP which is eying to capture power in West Bengal.

Buoyed by spectacular performance in the 2019 general elections in which the BJP won 18 of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, the saffron party is sparin no effort to accomplish "mission Bengal"..