After the decisive 2021 assembly elections win in West Bengal where Trinamool Congress secured 213 seats, it seems that Mamata Banerjee is under preparation to challenge the Center ruling BJP party in the 2024 elections. The first meeting of the Trinamool Congress on Saturday saw major organisational shuffles. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee is elevated as the party’s National General Secretary, and Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh is appointed as the party’s state general secretary. Speculations are rife that Trinamool Congress under the leadership of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, is preparing to challenge BJP and PM Narendra Modi in the 2024 elections.
Abhishek Chatterjee said the party is planning on “expanding the organisation outside Bengal” – a potentially significant remark with Assembly elections due in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat next year, and Lok Sabha elections due in three years’ time.
With the appointment of a new National General Secretary, a new rule of “One Person One Position” and the pending decision about the rejoining of the former Trinamool Congress MPs who had left the party, Mamata Banerjee is strengthening the party and its influence for the future elections.
The new rule of “One Person One Position” may also mean that Mamata Banerjee will have to give up either the post of the chief minister of West Bengal or that of the Trinamool Congress supremo, which are the two positions she herself currently occupies.
In the meeting, Abhishek Banerjee resigned from the post of the President of the youth wing and the actor turned politician, Saayoni Ghosh became the new president for the youth wing of the party.
Abhishek Banerjee, during the election campaigns in West Bengal, was called out along with the now CM Mamata Banerjee, to be playing “Dynasty Politics” and was also called “tolabaj bhaipo”, or “extortionist nephew” to which he responded that he will walk to the gallows if he was found guilty and at today’s (7th June) press conference, he mocked the BJP government to criticize “Dynasty Politics” and not pass a law against it as their own leaders are guilty of the charge and challenged them to pass a law against it. “You import dynastic turncoats. If you bring a bill, I will be the first to resign…” he said.
Another major decision taken by the party was to remove lal battis (red light and siren which bestowed them privilege) culture and asked the politicians to work on the ground level.
With all the preparations being made, it is very possible that India will witness a political war between Narendra Modi’s BJP government and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha elections due in three years.