Day After Abhishek Banerjee Assaulted, Another Jolt To Trinamool

In a telling sign of growing discontent within the Trinamool Congress ranks, 60 of the party's 80 Bengal MLAs skipped a meeting at former chief minister Mamata Banerjee's house on Saturday, resulting in its cancellation, sources said. The party later gave a feeble explanation for the fiasco, saying the leaders were occupied following attacks on TMC leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee.

The Trinamool Congress sources said the meeting, called by legislative party leader Shovandeb Chattopadhyay at Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat house in Kolkata, was called off because of low attendance. Only 20 lawmakers turned up. Those absent were contacted but were incommunicado, the sources added.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh claimed the MLAs who didn't show up were busy in the wake of the attacks on Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee -- two of the party's towering leaders.

"The Trinamool Congress legislature party meeting was scheduled. Yesterday, our All India General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee was attacked. After that, a lot of MLAs and leaders held a protest rally in many areas. Our senior MP Kalyan Banerjee was also attacked today... The police are detaining people from the protests... We are postponing the meeting for now...The All India Trinamool Congress is giving a call to its workers that a protest will be held in all the wards and blocks against the attack on Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee and other party workers on 1 June. On 2 June, Mamata Banerjee will hold a protest meeting on Rani Rashmoni Road," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Also read: On Camera, Trinamool MP Attacked, Day After Abhishek Banerjee Assaulted

The political signalling of the MLAs by not showing up at the house, which was once the unofficial seat of power in Bengal, is anything but subtle. What could bring momentary relief to the party leadership, however, is the fact that Trinamool giants like Firhad Hakim, Nayana Bandopadhyay, Madan Mitra, Ashima Patra, Kunal Ghosh, were present, indicating they are siding with Mamata Banerjee during potentially the party's worst crisis.

The fresh setback for the Trinamool Congress came hours after Kalyan Banerjee was hit on his head in Hooghly's Chanditala, a day after the party's second-in-command, Abhishek Banerjee, was thrashed by a mob. The two attacks are being seen as an indication of a loosening of the party's iron grip on the politics of West Bengal, where it ruled for three successive terms after wresting power from the well-entrenched Left in 2011.

The Trinamool Congress, which projected invincibility, lost the elections badly at the hands of the BJP, which had been searching for a foothold in the state until a few years back.

Also read: 'Maa, Maati, Manush' To Mutiny: Trinamool Faces Revolt After Election Defeat

The loss started squabbling within the party, with senior politicians questioning Mamata Banerjee's strategy. What added to the discontent was the fact that she had lost elections to the BJP's poster boy, Suvendu Adhikari, from Bhabanipur, her perceived stronghold.

Senior leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar recently resigned after shooting off an angry letter to Trinamool Working President Subrata Bakshi. She asked Banerjee in the letter to revert to an "old-style" method.

Also read: INDIA Bloc Revival In Bengal? Support For Mamata Banerjee Over Nephew's Assault

Earlier, NDTV spoke to Trinamool leaders who said the party had shifted drastically from its 'maa, maati, manush (mother, soil, people)' base. They also alleged that the party's senior leadership, including Banerjee, was inaccessible.

The Trinamool has set up a five-member committee to act against those who offer public criticism.