Mamata Banerjee defends Abhishek’s ‘well-deserved’ rise in Trinamool

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on June 16, 2023 and defended her nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s rise to the helm of Trinamool Congress

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee joined the concluding event of Abhishek Banerjee’s ‘Trinamooler Nabo Jowar (Trinamool’s new wave)’ programmeon Friday, June 16, 2023 and defended his rise to the helm of Trinamool Congress

Alleging that her nephew has been at the receiving end of canards and unfair attacks from the Opposition, Ms. Banerjee said that many think that she simply placed him at the top of the party. 

“I will give Abhishek a small memento from life’s history. Many say that Didi simply made Abhishek an MP. They are not aware that he (Abhishek) has been involved since he was two years old,” Ms. Banerjee said while addressing an event at Kakdwip.

The photograph presented by the Trinamool chairperson to her party’s general secretary goes back to 1990 when she was physically attacked by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The photograph shows Mamata Banerjee with bandaged head talking to her mother who has two year old Abhishek on her lap. According to Ms. Banerjee the infant Abhishek would stage protests by carrying a flag and raising slogans against the CPI(M) .

Abhishek Banerjee who was present on stage with the Chief Minister, thanked her and touched her feet. “There could be no better way to end my #JonoSanjogYatra. This moment will stay with me forever. Thank you, Didi!” the Trinamool leader said.

Ms. Banerjee defended the rise of her nephew and Diamond Harbour MP but also the rising wealth of her family and said that they had worked hard for several years. 

The 50-day-outreach programme organised by the Trinamool Congress ‘Trinamooler Nabo Jowar’ started on April 25 in Cooch Behar and concluded at Kakdwip on Friday. During the outreach Mr. Banerjee travelled across the State, holding rallies and road shows. During the outreach event the party held its own primaries to decide candidates for the panchayat polls in the State. This is the only event in the Trinamool’s history not centered around party chairperson Mamata Banerjee. Political observers feel the initiative was an image building exercise by the Trinamool general secretary.