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In a first, TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee attends Oppn meet on presidential election
Abhishek Banerjee’’s presence at Wednesday’s meeting of national opposition leaders is the first time that the 34-year-old TMC leader has been part of a high level strategy meeting
Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday attended the meeting of the country’s opposition leaders on the presidential election, underlining his stature in the party where he has risen as the second-in-command to West Bengal chief minister.
Abhishek, the nephew of the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, was elevated as the party’s national general secretary in June last year after the TMC’s spectacular victory in the assembly elections. Abhishek was then credited with having played a key role in the winning 213 of the 292 seats on which elections were held. Abhishek Banerjee has also been fronting the TMC’s efforts to expand its footprint in Tripura which is due to go to the polls early next year.
But his presence at Constitution Club in Delhi on Wednesday is the first time that the 34-year-old TMC leader has joined a national-level opposition meeting.
Among others who were at the meeting called by Mamata Banerjee were leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and former chief ministers Akhilesh Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.
Parties such as the Biju Janata Dal, Aam Aadmi Party and Telangana Rashtra Samithi had stayed away from the party. TRS linked its decision to steer clear of the opposition meet to the invitation extended to the Congress.
Abhishek Banerjee’s presence at the opposition meet also comes at a time the Enforcement Directorate has been questioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for three straight days. Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee have also been under investigation by ED in a coal theft case.
