Kalyan Banerjee Ultimatum to Mamata: Choose Between Me or Abhishek

Trinamool Congress MP and Mamata Banerjee loyalist Kalyan Banerjee on Thursday gave an ultimatum to the party supremo saying that she "will have to choose if she is with her nephew Abhishek Banerjee or a senior party worker like me."

"I am with Mamata Banerjee, but Didi will have to decide if she is with Abhishek or the TMC. Mamata di has to decide first. If she cannot run the party without Abhishek, then I will not be there," the four-time Lok Sabha MP and senior advocate told IANS.

Speaking to PTI, Kalyan Banerjee said, "I told Derek to tell Mamata: choose between Abhishek Banerjee or a worker like me."

These remarks come amid growing tensions within the TMC following its recent electoral setback in the West Bengal assembly elections and signs of unrest within the party.

The senior advocate also announced that he would no longer appear on behalf of Abhishek Banerjee in legal matters.

His decision came after a petition filed by Abhishek challenging a summons issued by the West Bengal CID in the legislators' signature mismatch case.

Abhishek was represented by advocate Ayan Bhattacharya before the vacation bench of Justice Kaushik Chanda in the Calcutta high court, earlier in the day.

Explaining his decision, Kalyan alleged that Abhishek had shown repeated disrespect towards him despite his efforts to secure an urgent hearing in the matter.

"I have decided to refrain from any legal matters concerning Abhishek Banerjee. His continuing arrogance is unimaginable. Yesterday, I raised his matter at the bench of Justice Chanda and pleaded for an urgent hearing. Accordingly, Thursday was fixed as the date of hearing. But last night, he called up my son and said that some other advocate, who is much junior to me in the legal profession, will represent him at the hearing on Thursday," the TMC leader told reporters.

"He thinks everyone is beneath him, as if everyone is merely an employee from Camac Street. I have been in this profession for 45 years. Who does not know me as a senior advocate? Leave aside this court, even in the Supreme Court people know me. But he has become so arrogant... does not respect anyone. That is why I have stepped aside," he added.

His remarks come at a time when the Mamata Banerjee-led party, which has ruled Bengal for 15 years with a firm grip is now confronting one of the biggest crises in its history after a bruising defeat at the polls.