Kalyan Banerjee resigns as LS leader amid rift with Mahua Moitra
KOLKATA, Aug 4: In a major reshuffle of its parliamentary leadership, the TMC on Monday appointed party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee as its new leader in the Lok Sabha, replacing veteran MP Sudip Bandopadhyay – who has been unwell for months – until he returns to good health.
The development came on a day senior MP from Sreerampur, Kalyan Banerjee, resigned as the party’s chief whip in the Lower House, alleging he was being unfairly “blamed for poor coordination among MPs.” The announcement about Abhishek Banerjee’s appointment was made during a virtual meeting of TMC MPs from both Houses of Parliament, chaired by CM Mamata Banerjee.Announcing his resignation as chief whip, minutes after the meeting ended, Kalyan Banerjee said, “I have quit as the party’s chief whip in Lok Sabha as ‘Didi’ said during the virtual meeting that there is a lack of coordination among party MPs. So the blame is on me. Hence, I have decided to step down.” The senior advocate, known for his sharp tongue, did not hide his anger. ”Those whom Mamata Banerjee made MPs don’t even come to Lok Sabha. South Kolkata, Barrackpore, Bankura, North Kolkata… hardly anyone attends Parliament. What can I do? What is my fault? I am being blamed for everything,” he fumed.
Just ahead of his resignation, he had posted on X accusing Moitra of “abusing” him during a podcast. ”Labeling a male colleague as ‘sexually frustrated’ isn’t boldness – it’s outright abuse. If such language were directed at a woman, there would be nationwide outrage, and rightly so. But when a man is the target, it’s dismissed or even applauded. Let’s be clear: abuse is abuse – regardless of gender,” he wrote in the post on X. A three-time MP from Diamond Harbour and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek, who is widely seen as the de facto No. 2 in the party, will take over the reins in the Lok Sabha “until Sudipda (Bandopadhyay) recovers fully”, the chief minister told MPs at the meeting, according to sources. (PTI)