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🇮🇳 India /Elections & Politics

TMC crisis deepens: Minority cell leader resigns, blames ‘dictatorial’ Abhishek Banerjee

From Hindustan Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Ajmal Siddiqui, state minority cell secretary of India's Trinamool Congress (TMC), resigned, citing internal party issues.
  • Siddiqui accused Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee of a "dictatorial attitude" and blamed him for the party's decline.
  • The resignation follows a series of setbacks for the TMC, including losing power in West Bengal and rebel legislators forming a new opposition group.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a deepening internal crisis following the resignation of its state minority cell secretary, Ajmal Siddiqui. Siddiqui announced his departure on Saturday, citing dissatisfaction with the party's internal functioning and the leadership's influence.

In his resignation statement, Siddiqui directly criticized TMC Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee, accusing him of a "dictatorial attitude." Siddiqui claimed that the party is "collapsing" due to Banerjee's actions and the oppression faced by members, including the filing of old, allegedly false cases and demands for money.

I returned from the Hajj pilgrimage just two days ago. Upon my return, I decided that this party brings nothing but disrepute; the majority of its members are involved in unsavoury activities--scandals keep surfacing, and more will likely emerge. Staying in this party felt very uncomfortable for us, and it wasn't doing any real work for the people.

— Ajmal SiddiquiAjmal Siddiqui explained his decision to resign from the Trinamool Congress, citing internal issues and alleged misconduct.

Siddiqui stated that he returned from the Hajj pilgrimage just two days prior and felt the party was bringing "disrepute." He alleged that a majority of its members are involved in "unsavoury activities" and that scandals continue to surface. He expressed discomfort staying with the party, feeling it was not doing meaningful work for the people.

The party is collapsing today solely because of one man: Abhishek Banerjee. His dictatorial attitude and the oppression we faced--false cases filed against us 12 or 13 years ago, demands for money--were unbearable.

— Ajmal SiddiquiAjmal Siddiqui blamed Abhishek Banerjee for the Trinamool Congress's current crisis.

This resignation comes amid a challenging period for the TMC. The party recently lost power in West Bengal after 15 years and has been hit by further setbacks, including 58 rebel legislators gaining recognition as the principal opposition group. While these rebels still accept Mamata Banerjee as their leader, they have openly challenged Abhishek Banerjee's authority.

When asked about his future political plans, Siddiqui stated his priority is the development of West Bengal, focusing on establishing industries and creating jobs for the poor. He indicated that he had not yet considered joining another party, such as the BJP.

We haven't thought about that yet. Our only desire is to see development in Bengal--industries established and jobs provided to the poor.

— Ajmal SiddiquiAjmal Siddiqui discussed his future political aspirations following his resignation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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