Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra defended party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee against nepotism charges, acknowledging his initial advantage but emphasizing his 12 years of political work. She also criticized current dissidents for not leaving the party openly like Suvendu Adhikari.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has strongly defended party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee against allegations of nepotism, acknowledging that while he initially benefited from his family connection to party chief Mamata Banerjee, he has since established himself through years of hard work.
In an exclusive interview, Moitra said Abhishek, who is Mamata Banerjee's nephew, received his first Lok Sabha ticket in 2014 because of that relationship. However, over the last 12 years, he has worked tirelessly to justify his place in the party. “Did Abhishek Banerjee get that first ticket in 2014 because he was Mamata Banerjee's nephew? Yes, he did. But has he since then been elected thrice, been National General Secretary of our party and done organisational work for the party, traversed the state, built up an organization? Yes, he has. He's been there 12 years. He's paid his dues,” she said.
Moitra's remarks come at a time when the TMC is facing one of the biggest internal challenges in its history, with a series of resignations and defections by senior leaders. Many have cited dissatisfaction with the party's functioning and Abhishek's growing influence. Moitra, however, dismissed the criticism, saying, “He's much younger than me. I've accepted him as a National General Secretary.”
Key Points
- Mahua Moitra defends Abhishek Banerjee, says he earned his position after 12 years of work
- She contrasts him with Suvendu Adhikari, who openly left TMC to join BJP
- Moitra questions why current dissidents did not leave the party earlier and contest on BJP tickets
- TMC faces exodus of leaders including Rajya Sabha members and MLAs
Moitra also drew a contrast between those now criticising Abhishek from within the party and former TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari, now the leader of opposition in West Bengal. She noted that Adhikari openly opposed Abhishek's growing role and left the TMC to join the BJP in 2020. “I could have been a rebel and done what Suvendu did,” Moitra said. “Suvendu said I want to be the next person in command. As long as Abhishek is there, I will not get that spot. Hence, I will part ways. I will go to BJP. There's a certain amount of, clean, transparent way of doing that,” she added, respecting his decision for taking an open political stand.
Questioning the actions of current dissidents, Moitra asked why leaders who objected to Abhishek Banerjee's role had not left the party earlier and contested elections under another banner. “If any of these 60 MLAs had a problem with Abhishek, why did they not quit the party before 2026 elections, join the BJP and win on a BJP ticket?” she said. The comments come as the TMC faces an exodus of leaders and legislators, including Rajya Sabha members Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik, who have recently resigned. A group of rebel legislators has also challenged the party leadership within the West Bengal assembly, accusing the leadership of becoming disconnected from grassroots workers and centralising decision-making around Abhishek Banerjee.