Mamata Banerjee on her successor: Party will decide, not me
Kolkata (PTI): Amidst the ongoing internal struggle within the Trinamool Congress between veteran leaders and the Young Turks, West Bengal Chief Minister and party chief Mamata Banerjee said any decision regarding her successor would be made collectively by the party leadership rather than by her personally.
In an interview with Bengali news channel News 18 Bangla on Friday, Banerjee dismissed notions of individual dominance, asserting, "I am not the party; we are the party. It is a collective family, and decisions will be made collectively."
Asked about her potential successor, Banerjee deflected the question with a counter-query to the interviewer, "Who is your successor?"
She went on to clarify that the TMC is 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 said.
On the debate about old versus new in the party, Banerjee maintained a balanced approach, stating, "Everyone is important. Today's newcomer will be tomorrow's veteran.
While TMC has not officially declared any succession plans, Banerjee's remark comes amidst an ongoing tussle between the old guards, considered loyal to Mamata Banerjee, and the next-generation leaders, considered close to Abhishek Banerjee.
Abhishek Banerjee is TMC's national general secretary and nephew of Mamata Banerjee.
Banerjee did not mince words while addressing the role of political consultants, taking an indirect jibe at I-PAC, which has been working as TMC's political consultant since 2019.
"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," she remarked, adding, "They are like artisans who do their work in exchange for money. But elections aren't won by them."
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Dakshina Kannada: Two girls drown while bathing near Kolyadakatta dam in Kadaba
Mangaluru: Two girl students drowned while bathing near the Kolyadakatta dam area of the Gundya river on Friday evening here in the Kadaba Taluk of the district.
The deceased have been identified as Arpita (15) and Sunita (21), both residents of Vimalagiri in Kutrupadi village.
According to reports, five girl students had visited the river along with their friends as it was a holiday. While bathing in the river, the two students reportedly entered a deeper portion of the water without realising the depth and began drowning.
Those accompanying them tried to rescue the duo, but were unsuccessful, leading to the tragedy.
After receiving information about the incident, Kadaba Police Station personnel visited the spot and conducted an inspection. The bodies were later recovered with the help of local residents.
