Mamata faction may soon move SC claiming TMC leadership

The Mamata Banerjee faction of the Trinamool Congress could soon move the Supreme Court claiming leadership of the party witnessing a fratricidal battle ever since it lost power in this year’s Assembly elections. Sources close to senior advocate and pro-Mamata Banerjee MP Kalyan Banerjee said, quoting the leader, “Expect something new and big next week.”

He was referring to an appeal earlier made by the former Bengal Chief Minister to the Election Commission of India to hasten up the process of inquiry into the leadership issue in the TMC.

The TMC MP is known to have reasoned with the party chief about the efficacy of knocking the Apex Court doors when the time was opportune. However, sources would not make it clear whether the party has taken a final decision on the matter.

On whether the party had immediately taken Kalyan Banerjee’s advice to move the Supreme Court — considering his not-so-good chemistry with general secretary Abhishek Banerjee – is not known, but sources said Mamata Banerjee was not averse to the idea of moving the Apex Court.

The development comes in tandem with Mamata Banerjee writing on Wednesday a letter to ECI Secretary Ashwani Kumar Mohal requesting the authorities to “conclude the investigation as early as possible without providing them with any further date to submit their comments.” This, because “the matter has serious political ramifications” in Bengal.

“I would request you to conclude the investigation as early as possible without providing them with any further date to submit their comments,” she wrote.

While 20 party MPs led by Kakoli Ghoshdastidar had defected and joined a little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) soon after the elections, about 60 out of 80 rebel MLAs led by present Opposition Leader Ritabrata Banerjee had carved out a separate group demanding ownership of the State party on account of their numerical majority. The matter has been pending with the ECI.

“We firmly believe that because of the extension of time granted by you, Shri Ritabrata Banerjee and others are trying to create false evidence to develop their case since they do not have any merit in respect of their allegations which we have firmly disputed,” she wrote.