KOLKATA: Abhishek Banerjee, Diamond Harbour MP and the object of the BJP brass’ ridicule, was anointed Trinamool Congress’s national general secretary on Saturday, underlining his increased stature in the party even as Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee delivered a stern “zero-tolerance” message against corruption, urged her colleagues to shun “displays of power” and proposed implementation of the oneleader-one-post formula.
TMC effected a few other changes in key leadership roles at its first organisational meet after the massive assembly poll mandate, making trusted Abhishek aide Kunal Ghosh its state general secretary, actor Saayoni Ghosh its youth wing chief (and Abhishek’s successor) and Barrackpore MLA and director Raj Chakraborty the head of its cultural wing.
The meeting did not take a stand on TMCto-BJP turncoats’ pleas to be taken back.
“The CM will decide on this,” party secretary general Partha Chatterjee said.
Mamata cautioned the TMC brass against using redbeacon cars, party seniors said.
“She told the meeting that it was now time to work for the people,” Chatterjee said.
But it was the 34-year-old Abhishek’s elevation to the national general secretary’s post — till now held by one of Mamata’s most trusted aides, Subrata Bakshi — that was the day’s talking point.
It was “a recognition of his critical role” in TMC’s poll victory, party seniors said, referring to how Mamata’s nephew had been targeted as “bhaipo” by both PM Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.