TMC crisis deepens as Chandrima Bhattacharya resigns, meets rebel camp leaders

Chandrima Bhattacharya (right) was appointed as the party’s state president a month ago. File pic/PTI

In another setback for the Mamata Banerjee faction of the Trinamool Congress, the party's West Bengal state president Chandrima Bhattacharya stepped down from her position on Saturday, barely a month after she was entrusted with the position.

A former minister in the erstwhile Mamata Banerjee government, Bhattacharya had remained one of the closest aides of the TMC supremo.

"At the end I would like to state that I have the highest regards for you and will remain ever respectful to you," she stated in her resignation letter.

Chandrima Bhattacharya. Pic/PTI

Bhattacharya later clarified that her decision was triggered by Banerjee's over-the-phone admonishment, blaming her for "allowing the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction of the party to take control of the party's Trinamool Bhavan operational headquarters" in Kolkata.

Asked whether she would join the rebel camp, Bhattacharya said, "There's more to life than this. I am yet to decide the course I will chart."

However, minutes later, Bhattacharya was seen sitting in a meeting with the rebel camp leaders at the chamber of Ritabrata Banerjee, the Leader of Opposition, in the state legislative assembly.

Bhattacharya's move came within weeks of her son, Sourav Basu - a former Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor of the TMC - joined the rebel camp and attended its meetings.

In a jibe at Bhattacharya, Kunal Ghosh, TMC MLA and Mamata-loyalist said, "I will not comment in detail about the development that has only just taken place. However, I will say this: Her [Bhattacharya's] self-esteem was never hurt when Mamata Banerjee entrusted her with responsibilities of key departments in the government. It has only surfaced after the party lost the polls."

Her relinquishment of party positions comes amid the Trinamool Congress's steady erosion of its top leadership.

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