Suvendu Adhikari, who had kept the political circles of West Bengal on the edge for quite some time, has finally made his decision known. Adhikari, a political heavyweight from Bengal and TMC’s most influential leader after Mamata Banerjee has tendered his resignation as a Minister. Sources indicate that the former transport, irrigation and waterways minister will soon resign from the primary membership of the Trinamool Congress as well. The resignation of Adhikari comes as a massive blow to Mamata Banerjee and the TMC, merely months before the all-important 2021 assembly elections.
Suvendu Adhikari has a comprehensive sway on close to 65 assembly seats in Bengal, and losing the man will naturally have devastating consequences for the TMC. Now, if Adhikari joins the BJP, he will be giving 70 odd seats to the saffron party on a silver platter. If he chooses not to side with the BJP and instead wage an independent battle, the vote-cutting on such seats will ensure the BJP wins them easily. Only a day ago, Adhikari had also resigned as the Chairman of the Hooghly River Bridge Commission (HRBC). If that was not enough, after resigning as a Minister, Adhikari also gave up the post of Chairman of the Haldia Development Authority in Bengal.
The slew of resignations tendered by Adhikari shows how he wants to have nothing to do with the TMC. This is not good news for Mamata Banerjee, who faces a battle of her lifetime only months from now. Suvendu Adhikari has been irked with the TMC for quite some time. Particularly, the over-projection and power conferred upon Mamata’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee had not gone down well with Adhikari. In addition to that, the excessive interference of number cruncher Prashant Kishor in organisational decision-making of the TMC had also disappointed Suvendu ‘Dada’.
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Abhishek Banerjee, of course, remains the main eyesore for many TMC leaders like Suvendu Adhikari. Being projected as a CM face after Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek is anything but liked by the remainder of TMC leadership, who feel that he is being unfairly projected as a future supremo of the party. Therefore, Suvendu Adhikari is a mere starter. The TMC’s house of cards is yet to come down in all its grandeur. TFI had earlier reported how in a recent cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, at least four top ministers were absent, which was unusual, to say the least. The absentee ministers were Rajib Banerjee, Gautam Deb and Rabindra Nath Ghosh. Suvendu Adhikari too was absent at the latest cabinet meeting chaired by Mamata Banerjee.
The TMC is headed down a very slippery slope. Months before the election in the state, the incumbent party facing such an unmitigated crisis is going to give its supremo many sleepless nights.