TMC's Abhishek Banerjee to take 'short hiatus' from organisation due to medical reason

Kolkata: TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday said he will be taking a "short hiatus" from the organisation for some pressing medical reasons. Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and considered number two in the party hierarchy, also said that he would understand the needs of the people during this period.

"In light of some pressing medical reasons, I will be taking a short hiatus from the organisation. This time off will be an opportunity for me to humbly explore and understand the needs of our people and community. I trust that the government of West Bengal will act swiftly and leave no stone unturned to ensure justice for those in need," he said in a post on X.

The Diamond Harbour MP said that he had travelled across West Bengal last year around this time taking part in the party's Naba Jowar mass outreach programme to understand the challenges faced by people.


During that event, Banerjee said, he witnessed the hardships caused by rising prices and stoppage of payment of the 100-day work programme by the Centre.

"In response, @AITCofficial organized statewide protests and took the matter to Delhi to fight for people's rights. Thankfully, this was addressed in February, along with an increase in financial assistance through the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme to help families." He said in the post.

Referring to Lok Sabha polls in Bengal, Banerjee said the results reflect the anger and frustration of the people, especially regarding the neglect of basic housing rights due to the state-centre conflict.

"We have committed to addressing this by December 31st, and I have already requested the honourable chief minister and relevant authorities of GoWB to prioritize this issue," he said.

The Trinamool Congress secured 29 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, while the BJP faced a setback, dropping to 12 seats from the 18 it won in 2019.

"I am profoundly grateful to the people of Bengal for their trust and faith in us," Banerjee said.