More than just TMC second-in-command, Abhishek Banerjee cements his grip on party

From managing the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal to holding talks with other regional parties, Trinamool Congress (TMC) second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee’s image as the party’s national face has received a major boost following the party’s comfortable win in the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal. It has also helped him cement his position as the party’s biggest leader after his aunt and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, with some in the party even suggesting that he is at par with Mamata now when it comes to running the party.

This is in sharp contrast to the situation Abhishek found himself in after the TMC’s comfortable victory in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls when under his leadership the party failed to make much headway in its national expansion plans in the Northeast and Goa.

After the results were declared last Tuesday, when Mamata was asked whether she would attend the INDIA alliance’s meeting in Delhi, she said, “I cannot go (to Delhi) right now. I have to oversee the security of the people. I cannot leave the state in the hands of the CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces). Abhishek will go.” For party insiders, choosing Abhishek made sense given the pivotal role he played in the TMC improving its tally from 22 to 29.

Over June 5 and June 6, Abhishek not only attended the INDIA meeting in Delhi but separately also sat down with the leaderships of the regional parties in the alliance — the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). “The absence of Mamata Banerjee was not felt during Abhishek Banerjee’s entire Delhi tour. On the other hand, Mamata also postponed the meeting with the TMC’s newly elected MPs in Kolkata, fixing it at 4 pm on June 8 so that