After a meeting with its leader Suvendu Adhikari late on Tuesday evening, the Trinamool Congress leadership on Wednesday claimed that the differences with him had been resolved and he would remain with the party.
The meeting was held in Kolkata where the higher-ups of the Trinamool Congress, including Abhishek Banerjee, MPs Saugata Roy and Sudip Banerjee and poll strategist Prashant Kishor, met Mr. Adhikari. If the claims of the Trinamool Congress are true, the development signals a major political development in the poll-bound West Bengal that indicates a thaw in the ties between Mr. Adhikari and the party.
Mr. Roy, who was trying to break the ice between Mr. Adhikari and the party, told mediapersons, “Suvendu (Adhikari) and Abhishek (Banerjee) will work together”. “We have reached a positive conclusion that Suvendu will stay in the party and shall work together for the good of the party. He has stated there is no question of him leaving the party or joining the BJP,” the senior Trinamool Congress MP said.
Sources in the party said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also spoke to Mr. Adhikari over telephone on Tuesday. Political circles in West Bengal were rife with speculation about Mr. Adhikari’s political future after he started organising public events without party’s flags or colours.
While the Trinamool Congress leadership has expressed happiness over the development, Mr. Adhikari has so far remained silent over Tuesday’s meeting and the related developments. He had given up all government posts and resigned from the State Cabinet on November 27.