West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said the decision on her successor as the leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would be taken by all party members, stating that “I am not the party”.
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“We are a disciplined party where no individual will dictate terms. The party will decide what is best for the people. We have MLAs, MPs, booth workers…this is a joint effort,” she told News18 Bangla.
Banerjee added, “I am not the party; 'we' are the party. It is a collective family, and decisions will be made collectively.”
The Trinamool Congress supremo further stated that while everyone was important, “today's newcomer will be tomorrow's veteran".
The chief minister's statement comes at a time when there were reports of a “rift” between senior and relatively younger leaders of the TMC. While the former group is considered loyal to Banerjee, the people in the latter camp are reportedly close to her nephew Abhishek, the Trinamool's national general secretary and its virtual number two.
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While Abhishek Banerjee is the Diamond Harbour MP, his aunt is amongst the country's senior politicians. She has led West Bengal since 2011, when she ended the Left's 34-year rule, and is in her third consecutive term in the top post.
{{/usCountry}}While Abhishek Banerjee is the Diamond Harbour MP, his aunt is amongst the country's senior politicians. She has led West Bengal since 2011, when she ended the Left's 34-year rule, and is in her third consecutive term in the top post.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, on the role of political consultants, the Trinamool boss said it is booth workers win elections for a political party.
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She remarked, "Some strategists make surveys sitting at home and change them later. They can arrange things but not bring voters. It's the booth workers who know the villages and people who actually win elections."
(With PTI inputs)