: In one of the biggest reshuffles in the All India Trinamool Congress ( AITC) since the Lok Sabha polls, party chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has entrusted bigger responsibility to her nephew Abhishek Banerjee prompting questions within political circles whether it is the beginning of dynastic politics in the AITC.
Abhishek, one of the youngest MP’s of the party, will head the youth wing of the party. “Trinamool YUVA and Trinamool Youth Congress merged as Trinamool Youth Congress,” the AITC website announced on Saturday. The Trinamool YUVA was created in 2011 to provide a platform to Abhishek.
During the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, Ms Banerjee had said that she introduced Abhishek to learn the ropes of politics.
But, within a few months her nephew came to be head the youth wing of the party, a portfolio held by senior leaders like Subhendu Adhikari.
Office bearers ignoredWhile many office bearers of All India Trinamool Congress considered close to party’s general secretary Mukul Roy have been shoved aside, it seems that Mr Banerjee is emerging as number two in the party.
Among the other changes in the party, the State president of AITC’s student wing Trinamool Chaatra Parishad (TMCP) Shankudeb Panda has been removed from his post. A relatively new face Ashok Rudra has been given the post.
Along with Mr Roy, the party will have two national spokespersons — Derek O’ Brien and Sudip Bandyopadhyay. Ministers in the AITC government — Partha Chatterjee and Subrata Mukherjee will be spokespersons of the party in the State.
CriticismThe reshuffle comes at a time when the party is facing criticism over the involvement of the certain leaders with the scam tainted Saradha group and the Bardhaman blast.
