Likely to quit CM post?

Kolkata, Aug 13(Reporters Today Bureau): Is West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in trouble? Is she likely to quit the post? This is the question that is being asked in the political circles across the country.

            Ever since Didi’s close confidante and party stalwart Partha Chatterjee and his woman associate Arpita Mukherjee were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the teacher appointment scam of the Education Department and Rs 50 crore cash and huge quantities of gold and jewellery was recovered created a great embarrassment for the TMC chief. Though initially reluctant, Mamata finally bowed to the pressure of a section within the party to sack Partha  Chatterjee from the cabinet and party posts. But that is not the end of the saga. The alleged involvement of her nephew Abhishek Banerjee and his wife is now troubling her. There is large scale resentment in the party on this issue also. The thing has reached such a pass that party cadre has now been demanding Abhishek Banerjee to come clean and deny involvement in the alleged coal scam in which now some IAS and IPS officers have been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate and CBI. Notably, these probes are being done following court orders of the Calcutta High Court and the TMC is finding it difficult to nail the NDA government at the Centre in this issue.

            According to reports, a section of the party recently demanded a clarification from Abhishek Banerjee on his alleged involvement in the coal scam while a section organized protests in some areas of the state.

            The arrest of Anubrat Mondal in bovine smuggling allegations has added to the woes of Mamata. Besides a public interest litigation in Calcutta High Court to probe the assets of as many as 19 ministers and leaders of different time in the State has created more trouble for the TMC chief.   The most interest thing is the plea of three ministers in Mamata’s cabinet in the Calcutta High Court not to make the ED a party in the investigation which has raised eyebrows of the public.

            Mamata, as it is known, was trying to project herself as an alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2024 election. She tried to unite the opposition during the President election pitching Yashwant Sinha as a candidate against NDA’s Droupadi Murmu. But she was literally snubbed as some of the parties—JMM, Shiv Sena– which were on her side voted against Sinha. This move shattered her dreams and she chose to remain aloof during the Vice President election.

            In such a situation, knowledgeable sources feel, She might decide to quit the post and instal some other leader from the party to salvage whatever image of the party is left. These sources also feel that she may decide to go for mid-term election in the state to seek a fresh mandate from the people to test her credibility with the electorate.

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