Kolkata: The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal seems to be struggling with internal factions ahead of the crucial Assembly elections scheduled next year.
Speculation is rife that senior party leader and state Transport Minister Subhendu Adhikari has developed ideological distance with the party line and skipped a cabinet meeting held recently at the state secretariat Nabanna.
A former Lok Sabha MP, Adhikari is part of the Trinamool's highest decision-making body, the seven-member steering committee. He has also been in-charge of as many as five districts.
According to party insiders, Adhikari is not attending any party meeting for quite sometime now. However, he has not made any direct comment against his party but he took digs at unnamed rivals while attending various meetings under apolitical banners. He also avoided programmes held under the party banner.
Finally, Prashant Kishor had to step in to troubleshoot the matter. Kishor visited Adhikari's Contai's Hatabari residence late on Thursday night and held a meeting with Adhikari's father and three-time MP Sisir Adhikari for almost two hours. Kishor could not meet Adhikari as he was out for attending a meeting.
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According to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit leader Mukul Roy, the rift between Subhendu Adhikari and the Trinamool Congress is certainly going to hit the incumbent dispensation in Bengal.
"He has not spoken to anyone from the BJP till now. At least there is no such information in my knowledge," Roy said, calling Adhikari a 'matured politician'.
Adhikari had skipped a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat on Wednesday. Other than Adhikari, state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who was reportedly unwell, was also absent from the meeting, sources said.
According to sources in the Trinamool Congress, the party is taking measured steps in dealing with Adhikari and that is why Kishor was sent to his residence on Thursday night.
(IANS)
