TMC's 'Martyrs Day' rally signals reversal of Mamata & Abhishek's roles

There were enough indications of a political role reversion between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the party’s national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee for the time being at the party’s annual 'Martyrs’ Day' programme on Friday.

From the tone of the speeches of both the Chief Minister and her nephew, as well as a statement from a senior leader of the party, it was amply clear that ahead of the big battle of 2024 Lok Sabha polls, while Mamata Banerjee’s focus will be more on the national affairs, Abhishek Banerjee will concentrate more on managing the state-level party organisation.

As per a remark of Trinamool leader in the Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandopadhyay, the indications of role reversal became even more clear.

“While Mamata Banerjee will be responsible for leading the entire country, Abhishek Banerjee will be in charge of the affairs in West Bengal,” Bandopadhyay said.

The indications of the role reversal, at least till the end of the big battle in 2024, were also there in the respective speeches of the Chief Minister and Abhishek Banerjee on the occasion of the Martyrs’ Day.

While the focus of the Chief Minister’s speech was more on national issues like the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and the recent developments in Manipur, her nephew concentrated more on state specific issues like denial of Central funds to West Bengal government under different centrally-sponsored schemes and the alleged excesses by different Central probe agencies in the state.

Political observers feel that the process of vacating the political leadership space in West Bengal started from before the recently-concluded panchayat polls in the state, where the party’s general secretary was in the forefront of Trinamool Congress’ entire campaigning programme, the Chief Minister was monitoring the entire process and occasionally attending a couple of campaign rallies.

“Now at the Martyrs’ Day rally, the indications of the role reversal became even more prominent,” said a veteran city-based political observer.

Now there comes the question automatically on how long this indicated role reversal will continue.

Political observers feel that the time-span on this count will depend much on the results of the 2024 LS polls, where again four possibilities might evolve.

The first and second possibilities are either the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or the opposition 'INDIA' wing comes to power with an absolute majority. The third and fourth possibilities are either the NDA or the INDIA forms the government, but with a thin majority.

Political observers feel that in case of the second, third or fourth possibilities, the role reversal will be longer as Mamata Banerjee will have to play a key role in the national political equations.

However, feel political observers, in case of the first possibility of NDA coming to power with a majority, the time span of the role reversal will be much smaller.

“But under any circumstance this role reversal will continue at least unless the results of the 2024 big battle are clear. This is also logical, since the Chief Minister with her long experience in Parliamentary politics and acceptability from a cross-section of political leaders from different regional parties, will be at a better stage of national equation bargaining.

"The Chief Minister’s personal equation with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi is really a matter of importance for all the constituents of INDIA,” said a senior city-based political observer.  

However, a small section of the political observers does not rule out a third factor that might determine the time-span of the role reversal, which is the progress on the investigation by the central agencies like the CBI and the ED on various alleged financial scams in West Bengal.