Abhishek Banerjee and the remaking of Trinamool Congress

Away from the media glare, unlike his charismatic aunt and CM Mamata, he has brought in key changes

On June 2, exactly a month after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) registered one of its most emphatic electoral victories in the 2021 Assembly polls, party general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee visited a private hospital in Kolkata to enquire about the health of an elderly woman.

Krishna Roy, wife of BJP leader Mukul Roy was down with COVID-19 and Mr. Banerjee’s visit created a flutter in State political circles — not only because Mr. Roy was a BJP legislator but also because none from the State BJP leadership had reached out to him. A few days later Mr. Roy, national vice-president of the BJP, returned to the Trinamool Congress, a party he had helped set up in 1998.

And Mr. Roy was not the only high-profile entrant to the TMC thanks to the quiet outreach of Mr. Banerjee. He was crucial in bringing in Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev and nominating her to the Rajya Sabha within weeks. While making way for Ms. Dev, the TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Arpita Ghosh had addressed her resignation to Mr. Banerjee and asked for an opportunity to work for the party.