In a noticeable development, Mamata Banerjee on Saturday virtually took control of the Trinamool Congress’ organisational affairs telling an extended core committee meeting of her party attended by about 27 senior leaders that she would hence forward personally look into the party matters and warning leaders against keeping secret contacts with the rival political parties including the BJP.
In what looked like a step taken by the Trinamool supremo to pre-empt aftershocks of a possible CBI action against some top Trinamool Congress leaders who had hitherto functioned as her trusted lieutenants in handling the organisational affairs, Banerjee instructed the leaders that she should be consulted in all important matters as she would personally look into the party matters adding quickly though that leaders like Mukul Roy would continue to remain at the helm of the organisational affairs.
Even as her ‘Ms Clean’ image got sullied after the Saradha chit fund case exploded in her face seeing many of her blue-eyed boys like Madan Mitra, Srinjoy Bose and others off to jail, Banerjee’s Saturday’s decision was a desperate attempt to rejuvenate the subdued the rank and file of the party, experts felt. Curiously, while charting out the line of attack and asking leaders to descend on the streets from January 10 onwards protesting against the BJP, left and the CBI “conspiracy against our party leaders to capture power in the State”, Banerjee reminded leaders that their performance would be watched as “recently we have seen that some people are not joining the party programmes.”
If they continued to neglect party programmes they would face stern actions, the Chief Minister said insisting “Mukul, Madan and Srinjoy are being framed by the CBI but I firmly believe that they are not thieves and I am sure that they will one day bounce back to the political centre stage to provide effective leadership to the State.” She also said that some leaders were “keeping secret contacts with other parties particularly the BJP. If they want to go they can go right away” adding “no dereliction of responsibility will be tolerated.” Recently, a number of Trinamool leaders including former Ranaghat party MP Sucharu Haldar had joined the Trinamool Congress. She said the party would launch agitations not only against the “malicious ways of the CBI but also Central Ordinance on land acquisition.” Meanwhile, jailed Minister Madan Mitra was on Saturday said brought to the SSKM Hospital after he complained of chest pain. However, he was released soon thereafter following a few tests said Dr PK Mitra, the superintendant of the hospital.