Gurung helped Mamata become CM, says Kunal Ghosh

Kolkata: Taking a dig at Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, her party MP Kunal Ghosh claimed that apart from votes, support from slain Maoist leader Kishenji and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung had also helped her come to power as the chief minister of the state. In a Facebook post on Tuesday evening, Mr Ghosh said that Ms Banerjee’s claim, in context of her conversation with Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi over phone, of becoming the CM with the blessings of the common people was “totally baseless.”

“In 2001, she had popularity, as did her fight. An alliance was also there. She went into the battle quitting the post of the railway minister. But she did not succeed. Where was the public then?” the suspended Trinamul MP of Rajya Sabha wrote. He continued, “In 2011, she however succeeded because many had extended their support and blessings to her. The Congress was there. In the Hills, Gurung was there. In Jangalmahal, it was Kishenji. There was SUCI also.”

Mr Ghosh said political forces, like a section of rebel communists and PDS and intellectuals apart from the media, including Saradha Group owner Sudipta Sen and Rose Valley owner Goutam Kundu had also rallied to gather support for her then.