Just behind West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s well-known Harish Mukherjee Lane deal with in south Kolkata, there’s one other home that appears to have emerged because the second energy centre within the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The resident of this closely fortified home is Abhishek Banerjee, the 33-year-old parliamentarian from Diamond Harbour. But it’s not this id that has introduced him to the political centre stage on this election season. Rather, it’s his household ties with the CM — Abhishek is her nephew — that has turn into a main speaking level.
As Bengal votes within the third spherical of the eight-phase elections right this moment (April 6), the highlight is on Abhishek. For most of the 31 seats within the politically essential South 24-Parganas will go to ballot over the third and fourth phases. The district is taken into account a TMC stronghold with the social gathering profitable 29 seats right here in 2016. It can also be the realm the place Abhishek has a vital affect; his Lok Sabha seat falls on this district.
Abhishek selected his aunt’s footsteps to hitch politics; his critics say he didn’t need to study the laborious manner in contrast to many different TMC leaders. He joined the social gathering in 2011, the 12 months Banerjee grew to become the CM after ending a 34-year Left rule. He was made the president of the TMC’s youth wing the identical 12 months, inflicting heartburn amongst many within the social gathering.
In reality, a number of TMC leaders who’ve defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allege that this publish was a springboard for Abhishek exercising his clout within the social gathering and turning into Banerjee’s heir-apparent.
As his affect grew and he grew to become a fixed in all necessary social gathering conferences alongside seniors, murmurs started on his meteoric rise with some leaders feeling side-lined. There is a rumour that Abhishek, at 26, was fielded to combat the Diamond Harbour seat in 2014 on the insistence of Mukul Roy, as soon as the de-facto quantity two within the social gathering. According to this rumour, Abhishek was ultimately one of the explanations behind Roy’s desertion.
Roy was not alone. Suvendu Adhikari’s clout was rising and, because the native legislator, he was massively well-liked in Nandigram and surrounding areas. Abhishek was made the TMC youth wing president by changing Adhikari. After quitting the social gathering in December 2020, Adhikari stated he “climbed the stairs” to achieve a place of political prominence and that he “did not take a lift”, an apparent reference to Abhishek.
“We did warn her (CM) in a veiled manner, but she didn’t understand that Abhishek could be her nemesis,” a senior TMC chief says.
It’s this rise of this controversial bhaipo (nephew) that has given the BJP ammunition to focus on Banerjee’s clear picture. The avenue fighter CM who lives alone after her mom’s demise abruptly finds herself dealing with allegations that she was practising dynasty politics and nepotism.
Central investigators questioning Abhishek’s spouse and sister-in-law in a coal rip-off case gave extra ammo to critics earlier this 12 months, although the TMC accused the BJP-led Centre of utilizing federal businesses to silence rivals.
Banerjee says she received’t be cowed down on account of strain; she even visited Abhishek’s residence as soon as earlier than the arrival of a central probe group there in reference to coal smuggling case.
But the BJP’s repeated assaults — it calls Abhishek tolabaaz bhaipo (extortionist nephew) — posed a powerful query earlier than the TMC. Now, there are indicators that the social gathering is intentionally avoiding bringing the aunt and her nephew collectively on the dais this election season.
For occasion, in Kolkata’s Hazra space, Abhishek organised a highway present, which the CM determined to attend. But Abhishek was seen in that programme solely after Banerjee had left the venue. Even in Nandigram, the place the CM is contesting in opposition to Adhikari, Abhishek was absent, To be certain, Banerjee saved most of her social gathering colleagues away from the high-profile seat that voted on April 1.
Sources say Abhishek has been suggested to focus on his Diamond Harbour space, an try at blunting the BJP’s “bhaipo” barbs and corruption allegations. Nonetheless, Abhishek is one of the star campaigners of the TMC and has been crisscrossing the state to bolster the social gathering’s prospects. Despite all criticism, a part within the TMC believes his perceived enchantment among the many youth will earn the social gathering wealthy dividends.
“All this distancing doesn’t matter. People have seen how he called the shots, and there) has been corruption to benefit his businesses…the Bengal government played along,” BJP state president Dilip Ghosh says.
While the BJP accuses Abhishek of corruption, making an attempt to painting him as a legal responsibility, the TMC formally says he’s in actual fact a political asset. “Abhishek Banerjee is one of our brightest leaders and there is no question of him being a liability. The charges and tapes (controversial audio tapes alleging corruption) are unsubstantiated and we will take appropriate action,” TMC chief Bratya Basu says.
Come May 2 and individuals will know whether or not the voices backing Abhishek within the TMC will develop louder or fall silent.
