The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) faced severe criticism both from its members as well as the Opposition on Tuesday.
While the party was criticized for “huge corruption” by its own MP Sisir Adhikari, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the AITC for violence in Birbhum district.
However, the most significant development of the day was expulsion of party’s strongman, former MLA and election manager in South 24 Paraganas District, Arabul Islam.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mr Islam had uprooted the Communist Party of India Marxist CPI (M) few years ago from parts of the district almost single-handedly. Mr Islam was allegedly working against AITC’s interests, challenged the party’s elected representatives and making “extortions randomly”. The party expelled him and his key associate on Tuesday evening.
The AITC is perhaps going through its darkest phase in Bengal as its own cadres, mid-level leaders to Parliamentarians are increasingly becoming hostile to the party. The latest of the renegades, who challenged the party’s authority in Bhangar block of South 24 Paraganas, is Mr. Islam.
Mr Islam is no ordinary AITC leader. He masterminded several attacks against the CPI (M) leaders, including former minister Abdur Rezzak Molla.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Bhangar block is located on the northern fringe of South 24 Paraganas district and a section of cadres of all political parties, generally, survive on extortion.
Controlling the auctioning of huge fishponds, commissions from land deals or plain extortion from local traders — are some of the typical money raising ploys. Mr lslam, who was AITC’s point person in the area and ensured the party’s victory in many elections managed the extortion rackets. In 2013, he spent nearly one and a half months in jail on charges of attempted murder and arson.
Over the last few months, Mr Islam was getting pushed out of the area by another ‘war lord’ of the block representing the same party. Satyajit alias Panchu Mandal, till recently the head of a local village council, slowly started dominating the area. A turf war of worst kind started between the two groups headed by Mr Islam and Mr Mandal resulting in chaos in the area and the party. Finally, the AITC leadership decided to get rid of the trusted ‘war lord’ of the district. So finally, three days after intra-party clashes, that left two dead in South Parganas district, the AITC on Tuesday expelled Mr. Islam.
“The matter was discussed by members of the party disciplinary committee. We have decided to expel former MLA of Bhangar, Arabul Islam and another functionary Jahangir Khan for six years,” AITC secretary general Partha Chatterjee told media persons. He further said that AITC is “different from other parties.”
“Trinamool is not like CPI (M) where murderers are treated as party’s assets. Trinamool is not BJP where people accused of murder can become the president,” he said.
AITC’s MPs taking money On the day when Mr Islam, a relatively small leader, was expelled, a senior leader and MP of the party, Sisir Adhikari told the media that the “MPs and MLAs” are taking money for developmental projects as well.
“People are saying, unless 6% is given to political leaders, one can not get any developmental work done,” said the AITC MP from Kanthi constituency in Purba Medinipur.
Reiterating that such leaders exist and operate in his party, Mr Adhikari said, “Why would I say that only smaller leaders in the village council are taking money? I would say that MPs and MLAs are no saints.”
“A small work, like erecting a footbridge, is not commissioned unless money changes hand…the irrigation department is told to withhold work,” the MP said. He asked the party to “take action” against the corrupt leaders.
Many in AITC leaders, however, feel Mr Adhikari’s outburst is a result of the family’s differences (his son Suvendu Adhikari is also a MP) with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “They (Adhikaris) are equally or more corrupt, just that they are now trying to align with forces against AITC, so they are throwing tantrums,” said a district leader of the AITC.
According to party sources, the AITC leadership has “requested” Mr Adhikari, not to air his objections about leaders of the party before media but approach the party leadership instead.