Suvendu Adhikari jumps ship leaving his father and two brothers in a conundrum
On Saturday, after Suvendu Adhikari took digs at his former party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), from the dais of home minister Amit Shah's event and called for “uprooting the nephew”, indicating the nephew of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the TMC did not take time to hit back.
"So, who is talking about dynasty politics? Is there no Adhikari dynasty?" asked Kalyan Banerjee, a TMC Lok Sabha MP and spokesperson.
Indeed, talking of dynasty politics may not help Suvendu Adhikari in getting public sympathy, since he comes from one of the most influential political families in Bengal.
Suvendu's father, Sisir, who has been a staunch Mamata-loyalist from the beginning of the TMC in 1998, and even during her days in the Congress, served as the chairman of Kanthi municipality for 33 years, as an MLA for three terms and is at present serving his third term as a Lok Sabha MP from Kanthi.
He is also the TMC's East Midnapore district unit president.
Another of Sisir Adhikari's son, Dibyendu, is the second-term MP from Tamluk, the other Lok Sabha seat in the district.
The third son of Sisir, Soumyendu, is the chairman of Kathi municipality.
Sisir Adhikari had until a few days ago ruled out every possibility of him deserting Mamata Banerjee. Dibyendu has not attended Suvendu's series of “apolitical” events either.
Recently, after Suvendu made his rebellion public and his loyalists in the TMC in East Midnapore district started taking programme's parallel to the party's, Mamata Banerjee had entrusted Sisir Adhikari with taking disciplinary action against party rebels. The 79-year-old had accordingly removed a number of Suvendu-loyalists from the TMC's ranks.
However, after Kalyan Banerjee's attack on Suvendu mentioning his family on Saturday, the political circle will keenly observe how other members of the Adhikari family respond in the coming days.
Kalyan Banerjee did try to differentiate between the Adhikaris. "Suvendu can't say he has been with the party since the beginning. I will accept it if Sisir Adhikari says so, but not Suvendu, who joined later," Banerjee said.
The situation, nevertheless, creates an uncomfortable situation for Sisir and Dibyendu, and also for the TMC.
“It will be difficult for Sisir-da to lead his party in the district against one of his son's armies. If Suvendu keeps attacking Abhishek, references to his family will also be brought by our leaders, which will make things uncomfortable for Sisir-da," said a TMC Lok Sabha MP who did not want to be named.
"It's a tricky situation and perhaps can only be managed if Mamata Banerjee directly talks to Sisir Adhikari," said a TMC minister, requesting anonymity.