Senior TMC leader and MP Kalyan Banerjee on Thursday issued an ultimatum to party supremo Mamata Banerjee to choose between her nephew Abhishek Banerjee and veterans like him, accusing the party national general secretary of “arrogance” and “fluctuating mindset”.
Kalyan, also a senior advocate, declared he would remove himself from all legal matters and court petitions concerning Abhishek, although the MP said he would continue contesting cases related to the party.
The development comes amid the TMC supremo facing a serious existential crisis following fractures at both the Bengal assembly and in Parliament alongside multiple resignations, with an overwhelming majority of rebel MLAs and MPs challenging Abhishek’s leadership after the party’s assembly poll debacle.
Kalyan, who resigned as the TMC chief whip in Lok Sabha in August last year and was recently reappointed to the post in the wake of the rebellion of 20 party MPs in the Lower House, has so far remained among the few still standing in support of the Mamata Banerjee-led party structure and has strongly criticised the rebel camp.
The rift between the two leaders, however, came to a tipping point after Kalyan – who had been representing Abhishek in the Calcutta High Court in a signature forgery case of the CID – was allegedly informed that a separate writ petition was filed by the Diamond Harbour MP with regard to the search operations conducted by the agency at the TMC office at Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence and Abhishek’s Camac Street office.
“The two cases are connected, and I had mentioned the search operation issue before the bench that was hearing the signature forgery matter. The legal strategy was to seek leave in the forgery case, citing the illegal search operation. The judge had listed the matter to be heard on Thursday. Post midnight, some emissaries of Abhishek came to me to inform that a separate writ has been filed on the CID raid issue. I was taken aback since I had no knowledge of it,” Kalyan told reporters.
The advocate alleged that when he asked why he wasn’t taken into confidence, they told him that it was done “on directions from the top”.
“Had I known about this, I wouldn’t have mentioned the matter before the judge because two separate benches cannot hear the same matter. Abhishek has many advisors, and so I have told the party I would not represent him in any court cases in future, as it is impossible to deal with such arrogance and fluctuating mindset. I was later informed that a junior lawyer would contest his cases,” Kalyan said.
The Lok Sabha MP from Sreerampur lashed out at Abhishek, alleging that the party supremo's nephew showed “no respect” for his “45-year professional experience”.
“Why did he ask me to represent him if he had no trust in my abilities. Let his legal advisors guide him from now. I am not to be treated like a dustbin or an employee of his Camac Street office,” Kalyan asserted.
The Sreerampur MP said the ball is now in Mamata Banerjee’s court to decide on whether to run the TMC with her nephew or with party loyalists like him.
“I will remain in this party only if Abhishek is removed from all leadership positions and retained only as an ordinary worker. Abhishek, who misbehaves with seniors and has the attitude of a boss, cannot be my leader in the party. I am sorry to say it will not be possible for me to remain in the TMC, if Didi (Mamata Banerjee) retains him as the leader,” Kalyan said.
“Didi must take the final call on whether she will retain her blood relative or workers like me, who have put in 40 years of our lives for her and this party,” he added.
Holding Abhishek responsible for the assembly poll debacle, Kalyan alleged that Abhishek’s “continued arrogance” stemmed from his “denial of his gross unpopularity among people and party workers”.
“He seems to be failing to understand that the party faced a humiliating defeat in the elections and has been destroyed because of his policies and functioning style. He seems to be in denial that he has turned grossly unpopular among the people and party workers. It is because of him that people are calling me a ‘thief’ although my political career is free of graft charges,” he said, asserting that Mamata Banerjee is the only leader he follows.
Referring to his face-off with Abhishek in 2022, which centred on leadership, favouritism, and decision-making within the party – a clash widely seen at that time as a fissure between the party’s old guards and new – Kalyan maintained that he was among the first to question the leadership style of Mamata Banerjee’s nephew.
“I was the only one then to raise my voice against him, foretelling this doom. I am consistent in my stand,” he said.
Kalyan’s son, Sirsanya, who unsuccessfully contested the recently-concluded state polls from the Uttarpara seat and has remained Abhishek’s co-counsel in the fake signature case, attributed “maintaining self-respect” as reason for his quitting the job alongside his father.
“I wore this lawyer’s gown long before Abhishek Banerjee became the party’s national general secretary. It is out of self-respect that I chose to stand down,” he said, adding his decision will have no impact on his defending other TMC workers and leaders in court.
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted Abhishek interim protection from any coercive action in a signature forgery case over the party's choice of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, provided the leader extended full cooperation to the CID investigation.
Abhishek, who has so far skipped three agency summonses, reached the Bhabani Bhaban CID headquarters to face questions from the investigating officers following his return from Delhi, in compliance with the newly set appearance deadline on 6 pm.