The ongoing rift between two groups within the ruling Trinamul Congress — the party’s old guard and its younger lot — took a turn on Monday as a section of senior party leaders engaged in a war of words over the issue of leadership, particularly concerning the party’s top two, Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.

The turmoil within the ruling dispensation became a point of discussion in the state’s political circles on a day the party’s rank and file were busy celebrating Trinamul’s 27th foundation day.

Many wondered if the party was divided vertically — with one section supporting chairperson Mamata and another section national general secretary Abhishek.

Amid this backdrop, Abhishek on Monday evening met Mamata at her Kalighat residence for two hours.

“We are yet to know about the subject or outcome of the sudden meeting of the two top leaders. But we assume that some discussions on the developments, particularly the spat between the two groups that took place throughout the day, must have taken place between them,” a party leader said.

Monday’s tumult in Trinamul was initiated by the party’s state president, Subrata Bakshi, whose comment on Abhishek’s role became an embarrassment for the party leadership.

“Abhishek Banerjee is our national general secretary. If Abhishek Banerjee contests this election, naturally, in my opinion, he will certainly not step back from the battlefield. If he fights, he will fight by keeping Mamata Banerjee and the party’s symbol at the forefront,” said Bakshi, a known lieutenant of chief minister Mamata since the inception of Trinamul.

Many in the party felt Bakshi raised questions on whether Abhishek would step back from the battlefield during the Lok Sabha polls over “ongoing differences of opinion” between Abhishek and his aunt Mamata over the party’s line of action.

A source said Bakshi’s comment assumed significance amid murmurs inside the party that Abhishek desired to stay off from taking political decisions and restrict himself to campaigning for Diamond Harbour, his Lok Sabha constituency.

“What does this mean, that ‘Abhishek will not step back’ (from the battlefield)? Why will he step back? He is a leader and is leading the party. Mamata di is the face of the party and Abhishek has become the commander under her leadership. We have seen several campaigns in recent memory under the leadership of Abhishek, including protests in Delhi and rural elections. I respect our party’s state president but his construction of sentences should be reconsidered,” said Kunal Ghosh, known to be a close aide to Abhishek.

A source said Ghosh is one of the five leaders with whom Abhishek recently held a confidential meeting where he expressed certain differences of opinion.

Trinamul insiders said Abhishek has recently distanced himself from the party’s organisational affairs due to a difference of opinion with the party’s top leader, his aunt, after the movement he was leading, demanding central funds, was diluted over time.

Sources in the party said that Abhishek wanted to intensify the agitation against the BJP to demand the release of central funds under several rural development schemes, including 100 days’ job scheme.

“He wanted to take to the battle against the BJP to peak ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and hold a rally in Brigade Parade ground in February to give a strong blow to the BJP. He is not happy with the way the agitation he started was dealt with after Durga Puja,” said a party source.

Sources also said that as Abhishek stopped monitoring the party’s organisational affairs, Subrata Bakshi took charge and started communicating with different district leaders. Bakshi, sources said, even intervened in resolving infighting in some districts, which was originally the job of Abhishek’s office.

But the absence of Abhishek was visible everywhere in the party’s organisation in recent times which is why the issue of differences of opinion became a talking point.

“It is a battle between the party’s old guard who want Mamata to take the lead in the organisation and the younger lot which stands by Abhishek’s leadership,” a source added.

Trinamul’s veteran parliamentarian Sudip Bandyopadhyay’s comment rolled out another round of war of words between the two camps in Bengal’s ruling dispensation.

“Bengal gets utmost priority in national politics because of Mamata Banerjee. If Mamata Banerjee is not there, Bengal will be nowhere in national politics,” Bandyopadhyay told party workers in Calcutta on Monday on the occasion of the party’s foundation day celebration.

“He (Bandyopadhyay) has seen a fight led by Abhishek in Delhi and its impact. Then why is he saying Bengal would be nowhere if Mamata di was not there? A section of leaders are trying to prove their blind obedience,” Kunal Ghosh told news channel ABP Ananda.

The Opposition hit out at Trinamul over its internal bickering going public.

“The state president of a political party is expressing doubt over whether the national general secretary will contest the election and will not step back from the battlefield. I doubt if it was a puppet show under the instruction of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah,” said CPM veteran Sujan Chakraborty.

“Such open rifts are common in a regional and dynastic political party. However, people have no interest in such developments (in Trinamul),” said Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya.

The differences between Abhishek and Mamata in controlling party affairs is not new.

In February 2022, Bengal saw a controversy over publishing candidate lists for 107 municipalities. Within two hours of Prashant Kishore’s iPAC — which used to report to Abhishek — publishing the candidate lists, then Trinamul general secretary Partha Chatterjee came up with a fresh version.

The differences were then sorted out after a meeting with the party’s top brass, including Mamata and Abhishek.

But the public airing of differences before the crucial Lok Sabha polls assumes greater importance, especially concerning its impact on the morale of the party's cadres on the ground, said some leaders.

“The political activities on the ground have stopped and there has been no important political programme in the past few months. We think Didi and Abhishek should jointly find out some ways to activate the party’s organisation across Bengal,” said a senior Trinamul leader in Calcutta.

The leader gave an example of trouble because of this division — the ongoing conflict between the party’s Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh, who defected from BJP, and Jagaddal MLA Somnath Shyam — which could not be resolved over the last week despite Bakshi's efforts.

“Even after Bakshi da (Subrata Bakshi) urged the duo to stop commenting against each other publicly, it did not stop. Even on Monday, Shyam attacked Singh, without naming him. The absence of Abhishek is hurting the party’s organisation,” said the leader.

Earlier in the day, the top duo took to X to wish supporters on Trinamul foundation day.

“No surrender to evil force: in defence of all terror we will continue our lifelong struggles for the common people of our country,” Mamata wrote on her X handle, setting the tone for the party’s electoral battle.

Abhishek wrote: “Celebrating the 27th Foundation Day of Trinamool Congress! Grateful for the incredible journey.... United, we will persist in serving the nation with honesty and integrity!”