Will Trinamool's foundation day celebration on Friday be a low key affair?

How low key Trinamool Congress's foundation day celebration will be on Friday? This is a question that is making rounds in the political circles of West Bengal on the last day of 2020. Trinamool Congress is going through a turbulent political phase since it came to power in West Bengal in 2011 and Suvendu Adhikari played a key role in one of the two land movements that led to the rise of the Trinamool Congress in 2007-08. The exit of Adhikari has kicked up a storm in the TMC camp, writes Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri, ETV Bharat's Kolkata Bureau Chief.

Kolkata: How low key Trinamool Congress's foundation day celebration will be on Friday? Every year the foundation day is celebrated by Trinamool Congress leaders and workers with a lot of enthusiasm throughout the state. But what is going to happen this year? Will the same enthusiasm persist? Or will it be the dullest celebration this year? Precisely that is a question that is making rounds in the political circles of West Bengal on the last day of 2020.

And surely it is not rocket science to guess why such speculation is in the air. Trinamool Congress is going through its turbulent political phase since it came to power in West Bengal in 2011 bringing an end to the 34-year-long Left Front regime, Suvendu Adhikari played a key role in one of the two land movements that led to the rise of the Trinamool Congress in 2007-08. Also, Adhikari played the key role in virtually demolishing the political networks of Congress and Left Front in different districts of the state after 2016.

Now Adhikari is a closed chapter for Trinamool Congress. He is with BJP now. Along with him several other Trinamool leaders deserted Trinamool and joined the saffron camp. At the same time, several Trinamool leaders at different levels from different districts have already started giving the message of staying with Shuvendu Adhikari.

As a result, political observers feel that the situation of the Trinamool Congress is really critical currently. So such a situation is bound to have an effect on the foundation day as well.

However, Trinamool Congress leaders are reluctant to accept this argument. Trinamool leader Baishwanar Chattopadhyay told ETV Bharat that since its inception, the party had been formed through various mass movements. "Now we are in power. But at one point in time, there were many barriers. We reached this place through struggle and movements. Many who were with the party since its inception were martyred. We will remember each of them and celebrate the founding day of the party tomorrow as usual," he said.

He is also reluctant to give importance to the resignation of Shuvendu Adhikari from the party. "Suvendu is not a founding member of the party. They were associated with Chatra Parisha when I was the state president of the student wing of Congress. He was also associated with the youth movement. He was just a councillor of Kontai Municipality. He became the Member of Parliament because of the backing from Mamata Banerjee. Can He form his own party? He is trying to embarrass us now. Previously many others tried to play the same foul game. None of them was able to do anything," he said.

However, since many other leaders are playing the same tune as Suvendu did once, naturally the question is arising on whether Mamata Banerjee will be able to become the chief minister for the third time? Naturally, those questions and doubts are bound to impact the foundation day celebration tomorrow, feel political observers.

Baishwanar Chatterjee, however, wishes to disagree. "Trinamool Congress is like a long-distance express train. Some passengers can go down the midway. But as long as Mamata Banerjee is there, no one else is required," he said.

However, the opposition parties seem to be enjoying Trinamool's situation now. "Trinamool is getting engulfed in the fire that was lit up by them only. Those who suffered then because of the fire are now enjoying the current situation. Let them celebrate the foundation day for the last time before the entire party perishes," said senior Congress leader and the leader of the opposition in West Bengal assembly, Abdul Mannan.

The leader of the Left Parties in the West Bengal assembly, Sujan Chakrabarty expressed a similar opinion. "Celebration of foundation day before getting perished is meaningless. I do not understand how far celebration through dance, music and songs will be justified in the current situation," he said.