The return of Rajib Banerjee to the Trinamool Congress has brought out a strange phenomenon of West Bengal politics. Those who had left the TMC months ago and made fiery speeches against the party, in particular targeting Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, have been allowed to re-join the party on one precondition. The precondition was that they would have to accept the leadership of the younger Banerjee.
Mukul Roy, Sabyasachi Dutta and now Rajib have all been made to eat humble pie and have promised to the party that they would accept Abhishek as their leader.
Thus a new era has begun in the Trinamool Congress. Mamata Banerjee is not fading, but Abhishek has taken centre-stage. It is now clear Abhishek (34) is taking over the party leadership in the state while Mamata is going to national politics.
Needless to say, Abhishek's growth depends much on Mamata's success in national politics. Abhishek also has to ensure growth for the TMC in other states.
Therefore, he is keeping the local internal rivalries in the TMC at bay and bringing back the people who had left the party and badmouthed him.
Many in the TMC had objected to the re-induction of Roy. But they were made to toe the party line. In Salt Lake, minister Sujit Bose had openly opposed the re-induction of Sabyasachi Dutta. But Bose was asked to remain silent.
Kalyan Banerjee, MP and the party's chief whip in Lok Sabha, vehemently opposed the inclusion of Rajib, who hails from Howrah. Kalyan pointed to the role Rajib played during the Assembly elections when he used the Central security forces, assigned for his security by the Narendra Modi government, to assault TMC workers in Howrah.
Being a former heavyweight in the party, Rajib's inclusion was delayed as a result of this opposition. But finally, Kalyan was mollified and Rajib found his place in the party not in West Bengal but apparently in Tripura.
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Apparently, the BJP defectors would have to work to build the party outside the state; Rajib's inclusion is an example of this new arrangement. This is the stand the party has taken to defuse internal tension.
Many TMC leaders have told THE WEEK, with an air of confidence, that the defectors would not get back the status they had. But since the TMC has a growth strategy not only in the state but outside, it needs more experienced leaders and people like Rajib would be required. So the feuds of the past are being forgotten, for the time being.
