It appears to be the season of defections in Bengal. At a time when the Trinamool Congress has been unravelling like a pack of cards after losing the elections, its Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra has created a flutter with her unusual praise for Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. In an interview, Moitra, widely seen as a staunch Mamata Banerjee loyalist, remarked that she shared an "emotional connection" with Adhikari, despite their contrasting political paths.
The comments by Moitra, who remains among Mamata's shrinking band of loyalists in the TMC's parliamentary wing, have stirred fresh speculation across Bengal's political circles. This comes as Mamata is already battling for control of the TMC against a rebel camp of MLAs led by Ritabrata Banerjee. In Parliament, the TMC has been dealt a severe blow after twenty Lok Sabha MPs merged with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) to back the ruling BJP.
Against this backdrop, the timing of Moitra's praise for Adhikari has raised eyebrows. She also shared an excerpt from her interview on X, formerly Twitter, noting that at a personal level, she had always enjoyed a very good relationship with Suvendu Adhikari, who supported her extensively when they were in the TMC together.
She went on to recall how Adhikari had supported her during a particularly difficult phase in her early political career. Moitra explained that she had been deeply upset when she was denied a Lok Sabha ticket in the 2014 polls, crying the whole night, and that Adhikari was there at the time to reassure her.
The fiery TMC leader started her electoral journey from Karimpur, which she won in the 2016 Bengal assembly polls. As a political greenhorn at the time, Moitra stated that no senior TMC leader came down to campaign for her. However, Adhikari stepped up to manage her first rally. She mentioned that looking back at the photographs today, only she and Adhikari were present on the stage.
Adhikari left the Trinamool in 2020 amidst growing differences with Mamata Banerjee and the rising influence of the young guard under her nephew, Abhishek. He subsequently joined the BJP, ultimately leading the party to a decisive victory in this year's Bengal elections.
Whilst Moitra admitted that the two no longer speak frequently, she insisted that personal relationships ought to transcend party lines. She acknowledged that because Adhikari had moved to another party they no longer converse, but emphasised that she could never forget the help he had provided.
These remarks come at a critical juncture for Mamata, who has been struggling immensely to keep her flock together. Moitra had recently been included by Mamata in the national working committee of the party to shore up support. Conversely, the rebel MLAs have already voted to replace Mamata as TMC chairperson, stripped Abhishek of his post as national general secretary, and approached the Election Commission to stake their claim to the party's official name and twin-flower symbol.
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