Exclusive: Ex-Aide's Big Charge Against Mamata Banerjee, Nephew Abhishek

The Trinamool Congress's defeat in the recent assembly elections in West Bengal has sparked a wave of censure against the party - much of it from its own leaders. This time, it was Partha Chatterjee- former minister, troubleshooter for Trinamool Congress and (once) a Mamata Banerjee loyalist - who has delivered savage criticism of the party chief and her nephew and party number 2 Abhishek Banerjee. 

"Mamata Banerjee overlooked all corruption. And both Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee are responsible for such result," Chatterjee told NDTV in an exclusive interview. The party, added the former party general secretary, had got "detached from the masses". 

After the election, the party had trouble accepting the people's verdict, he further pointed out.

As for Abhishek Banerjee, the list of his shortcomings, according to Chatterjee, was long. 

"Abhishek Banerjee tried to change the political culture of our party... The way Abhishek Banerjee attacked union home minister Amit Shah during campaign was not acceptable. It goes against Bengal's political culture. It was derogatory but party did not stop him," he said.

Implicit in the censure was an accusatory finger -- pointed at Mamata Banerjee. 

"The party cannot be a place for a someone's grooming. One cannot become leader in a single day. He should come through struggle, by enjoying trust and confidence of the people," he said. 

Abhishek, Mamata Banerjee's nephew, was inducted by the party chief in 2011 as the national president of the All India Trinamool Youth Congress. In June 2021, he was appointed the party's National General Secretary. Currently, he is the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha.

His rapid elevation had managed to alienate most of the party veterans who were once close to Mamata Banerjee. Ahead of the 2021 assembly polls, it had sparked traffic towards the BJP. While some of the leaders eventually made their way back to Trinamool after the party's sweeping victory, its defeat this time has appears to have started another exodus.