Abhishek Returns As TMC National General Secretary

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Friday that her nephew Abhishek Banerjee would once again be the Trinamool All India General Secretary after a meeting of the new Trinamool National Working Committee.

This comes amid speculation of a rift between senior Trinamool Congress leaders and Abhishek Banerjee’s supporters over the “one man one post” principle proposed by the CM’s nephew. Several senior Trinamool leaders were upset with Abhishek since many of them hold multiple positions in the ruling establishment. Last Saturday, Mamata Banerjee abolished all posts in the Trinamool Congress.

Apart from Abhishek, the party supremo gave Congress defectors Sushmita Dev and Mukul Sangma the responsibility to handle the party’s units in the Northeast.

Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, Trinamool leaders Chandrima Bhattacharya and Subrata Bakshi have been made party vice-presidents.

While Bengal minister Aroop Biswas has been made the treasurer, Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim will coordinate between the National Working Committee and Mamata Banerjee.

Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy and Barasat Trinamool MP Kakali Ghosh Dastidar will be the party’s national spokespersons.

According to party sources, after the meeting of the National Working Committee, it was decided to have a separate WhatsApp group with the members of the working committee where they will regularly exchange their views.