Mamata forms 20-member TMC working committee to stem discord

Trinamool Congress President Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced the creation of a 20-member national working committee amid growing division within the party.

Banerjee will appoint the new members of the party office later, TMC leader Partha Chatterjee told reporters after a meeting at the West Bengal Chief Minister’s Kalighat residence.

The announcement is seen as an attempt to assert Banerjee’s control of the party and stem the rift between some of TMC’s old guard and next-generation leaders.

“After Mamata Banerjee was re-elected as party chairman, she announced the establishment of a small committee to take care of party affairs. Today there was a meeting of this committee, and during this meeting, she announced the new national party working committee,” Chatterjee said.

“Mamata Banerjee will appoint the new office bearers later and then he will be sent to the electoral commission,” he added.

Among the leaders who have found a place in the national working committee are Amit Mitra, Partha Chatterjee, Subrata Bakshi, Sudip Bandopadhyay, Abhishek Banerjee, Anubrata Mondal, Aroop Biswas, Firhad Hakim and Yashwant Sinha.

“Until Mamata Banerjee announces the new slate of officers, all other positions on the last committee cease to exist,” another senior TMC official said.

Young party leaders led by Abhishek Banerjee have spoken out for “one person, one position” at the TMC, drawing criticism from a section of veteran leaders who have publicly accused them of violating party discipline.

(Only the title and image of this report may have been edited by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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