Mamata Banerjee convenes meeting of TMC top brass amid growing internal strife

Trinamool Supremo Mamata Banerjee has called an emergency party meeting at her residence on Saturday amid internal ramblings and organizational issues over the last few days. The party is suffering from internal trouble, confusion following candidate list related crisis over release of two lists, one post-one person social media campaigns and protests across Bengal over candidature for 108 municipal bodies.

The meeting, which will be chaired by Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee, will be attended by senior Trinamool leaders secretary general Partha Chatterjee, party President Subrata Bakshi, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, Trinamool Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and other senior leaders and party national general secretary Abhisek Banerjee, party sources told ET.

The differences between Trinamool's new generation and old have become evident, with West Bengal Trinamool Congress leadership on Friday, making it clear that the party does not support the "One-party, one post" concept as propagated in social media campaigns.


“The ‘One party-one post’ concept, once introduced by the Trinamool Supremo, is subject to her approval and discretion and she will set the rules for it. With approval from Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee, I am saying that our party does not support such campaigns” Trinamool Minister Firhad Hakim, who is also Kolkata Mayor, said today. Hakim, Mala Roy, Partha Chatterjee and several others hold dual posts in Trinamool Congress, cabinet and Kolkata Corporation.

Hakim also urged Trinamool workers to stay away from it. "One-party, one post" campaign which is trending in social media and was supported by the party's Yuva Morcha and youth brigade, rallying behind party's national general secretary Abhisek Banerjee, have made the campaign predominant.

Abhisek Banerjee, in various forums, have claimed in the recent past, that he supports "One-party, one post" concept and will try to implement it.

The party faced internal crisis over release of two lists for 108 municipal body polls. Sources said the list uploaded in the website was done by I-PAC and following which confusion prevailed among party workers who resorted to protests. There is speculations about I-PAC’s severing ties with Trinamool Congress, following the candidate list row.

Meanwhile, controversy erupted today over Trinamool Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya's social media handle, which also had background wall of "One-party, one post” campaign, which was trending in social media. Bhattacharya claimed that her social media account was created by I-PAC and it has been used for such campaigns.

I-PAC denied such allegations and tweeted that they don’t handle any digital properties of AITC officials. “I-PAC doesn't handle any digital properties of @AITCofficial or any of its leaders. Anyone making such claim is either uninformed or is blatantly lying. AITC should look into if and how their digital properties and/or that of their leaders are being “allegedly (mis)used”, I-PAC tweeted.