Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee on Monday stepped down as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, citing humiliation and unfair targeting amid complaints of disarray among party MPs. The resignation came just hours after a virtual meeting chaired by party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, where concerns over lack of coordination among parliamentarians were raised.
In a statement to ABP Ananda, Kalyan Banerjee said, “I have quit as the party’s chief whip in Lok Sabha as ‘Didi’ (Mamata Banerjee) 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 four-time MP from Sreerampur and senior advocate expressed deep frustration over the leadership’s silence on internal discord and poor attendance by certain MPs, stating he was made a scapegoat.
‘What is my fault?’ asks Kalyan Banerjee, cites MPs’ absence in Parliament
Kalyan Banerjee launched a scathing attack on fellow party members who, according to him, barely attend Parliament.
“Those whom Mamata Banerjee made MPs don’t even come to Lok Sabha. TMC MPs from 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 told ABP Ananda.
Sources told PTI that Banerjee’s ongoing friction with Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra and a previous public fallout with former cricketer and TMC MP Kirti Azad had created embarrassment for the party’s top leadership. The latest escalation with Moitra is believed to have prompted a review of the party’s parliamentary coordination structure.
Kalyan Banerjee Says He’s Mulling ‘Quitting Politics’
In an emotional statement, the senior advocate accused the party of ignoring internal insults aimed at him. “Didi says Lok Sabha MPs are fighting and quarrelling… Should I tolerate those who abuse me? I informed the party, but instead of taking action against the person who insulted me, they are blaming me. Let Mamata Banerjee run the party the way she sees fit,” he remarked.
He added, “I am so upset that I am even thinking of quitting politics altogether.”
Later in the evening, the Sreerampur MP told the media that TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had reached out to him and requested that he hold off on his resignation for a few days. “Just a few minutes ago, Abhishek Banerjee called me and said I should continue for a few more days. He said he will meet me and speak with me on August 7,” he said.
The virtual meeting, attended by TMC MPs from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, reportedly saw Mamata Banerjee express strong disapproval over factionalism and internal bickering. While she did not name anyone, many MPs viewed the comments as directed at Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra, PTI reported.
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