A section of Trinamul Congress insiders is hopeful that Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek are in the process of resolving their differences to avert a political crisis in the wake of the unprecedented protests against the ruling dispensation following the junior doctor’s rape and murder.

The first sign of an impending resolution, a source said, was the apparent similarity in the content of the letter that Mamata wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and an X post of Abhishek.

The Bengal chief minister’s demand in the letter, highlighting “90 rapes daily” across the country and calling for “stringent central legislation” for exemplary punishment of those involved in heinous crimes against women, mirrored the Diamond Harbour MP’s message in social media.

“I consider Didi’s letter to Modi, which aligns with Abhishek’s stance, as the first sign of a truce. It indicates that the situation is likely to improve as the party needs a collective effort to combat the Opposition, particularly the BJP, who turned the RG Kar issue into a political one by exploiting apparent public outrage,” said a TMC leader in Calcutta.

Several leaders in the ruling dispensation said that AB (as Abhishek is popularly known within the party) should step up to lead from the front in countering the multiple narratives, damaging the TMC at the grassroots level.

“We hope the differences will be resolved during this crisis period. As common people take to the streets, it has become a challenge for us to respond. We need clear guidelines from the party and we are waiting,” said a Trinamul leader.

A source said that Abhishek and his camp began distancing themselves from the party’s affairs in the immediate aftermath of the incident as they were frustrated by multiple administrative mistakes, including the decision to reinstate Sandip Ghosh as principal of National Medical College and Hospital after his resignation from RG Kar.

The fact that AB chose a different line, a source said, was clear from his speech on August 10 at Diamond Harbour where he stressed the need for larger reforms that would deliver justice to the victims.

“Some of our leaders were engaging in what can be best described as whataboutery while reacting to the RG Kar horror.... AB was much more upfront in his approach,” said a source close to the TMC No. 2, referring to his yesterday’s X post in which he clarified that the party should counter the BJP talking about the broader scenario of crimes against women.

The source referred to Abhishek’s tweet in which he wrote that he wants the Bengal government to break free from the constraints of the existing ‘laggard system,’ which has not been effective, especially at a time when both the party and the state government are ‘under fire.’

“He wants a revamp in the state administration and for some heads to roll, but this was not endorsed by the party’s No.1,” said a leader who believes Abhishek’s stance is correct.

While it is not clear whether Mamata would act on his wishes, TMC sources are hopeful that the next set of steps from Nabanna would have Abhishek’s inputs.

Some party insiders said that the other reason behind their hope is their past experience in which Mamata and Abhishek resolved their differences for the larger cause of the party.

In January this year, the party’s dive into the Lok Sabha poll preparations was deferred because of a public debate on ‘old guards’ and the ‘new lot’. Trinamool faced difficulties as the debate divided the party into two factions -- one belonging to Mamata and the other to her nephew.

“But it was resolved and the party went forward and won 29 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats. The difference was much l arger and had an ideological underpinning, but this time it’s different,” said a TMC insider.

Although there is no election scheduled in the next few months, the increasing trend of protests has become a headache for the party ahead of the festive season.

“This time there is a mass outrage against the state government and it should be addressed properly. Ahead of the festive seasons, these differences should come to an end,” he added.

While some party leaders are waiting for Abhishek to take the lead, others believe it is easier said than done, given the significant changes that occurred since Abhishek and his team became less active.

As Abhishek remained silent, the party faction led by state president Subrata Bakshi was activated to handle the ‘political tasks’ that were previously managed by the Diamond Harbour MP’s Camac Street office. A source mentioned that a new WhatsApp group for the party’s spokespersons was created on Tuesday night,
excluding Abhishek.

“Such steps by Bakshi’s office are not kind on AB,” said a TMC leader.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, however, stated that Abhishek is alert and focused on the national picture of crime against women, aiming to take a strong stance against the BJP.

“Abhishek also wants justice, and he is communicating his strong stance on the national level regarding crimes against women. He (Abhishek) is undergoing treatment for his eyes. Mamata di is our leader, and Abhishek is the general of Trinamul—we are all united,” said Ghosh.