Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Kalyan Banerjee (File photo)
NEW DELHI: With Trinamool Congress staring at its biggest possible rupture, party MP Kalyan Banerjee came out all guns blazing against the rebel camp led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. Calling the dissidents “desperate”, he accused them of betraying party boss Mamata Banerjee and alleged that BJP was targeting to weaken Didi’s party.Addressing a presser, Kalyan Banerjee asserted that the rebel camp lacks the numbers needed to comfortably overcome the provisions of the anti-defection law. He further branded the dissidents as “gaddar” and accused them of being “desperate for power.”In a pointed attack on the BJP, Kalyan Banerjee declared, “You (BJP) have the CM, ED, CBI and other powers, but I have ‘Maa, Maati, Maanush’, my party, my party workers, and the people of West Bengal.”The fiery press conference by Mamata loyalist Kalyan Banerjee came as the Trinamool Congress continues to grapple with an escalating internal crisis. The party, which has ruled Bengal for 15 years with a firm grip, is now confronting one of the biggest crises in its history after a bruising defeat at the polls.The TMC appears to be heading towards its deepest and most damaging split since its founding in 1998 by Mamata Banerjee, raising questions about the party’s unity and future political course. The presser also came after rebel TMC leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar delivered a defiant response to the party leadership.”Mera sar katega lekin jhukega nahi… Maine bohot seh liya… I did not come here after Mamata Banerjee became chief minister in 2011; I have been fighting here for 40 years. And as I said, the words of such people have absolutely no effect on me.”She also sought to frame the rebellion as a larger cause beyond party politics.”We will find out what happens later. For now, isn’t it enough that we want to work for Bengal, for the country, and to keep India secure? This is a crucial issue. The issue of the nation is paramount to us.”The exchange marks the latest escalation in the growing rift within the Trinamool Congress, with both camps hardening their positions amid an intensifying political battle.
