Abhishek back as TMC No 2, reinstated as national general secretary

Kolkata: Within a week of disbanding senior level posts and setting up a national executive committee in her party amid an internal rift, Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday brought back her MP nephew Abhishek Banerjee as the national general secretary of the party in allocation of posts in the 20-member apex forum.

The West Bengal chief minister appointed TMC Rajya Sabha MP Subrata Bakshi, Yashwant Sinha and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya as the vice presidents. She has given the responsibility to Mr Sinha and her main adviser Amit Mitra to formulate foreign and financial policies respectively.

TMC leader Partha Chatterjee made the announcement after a meeting by Ms Banerjee at her Kalighat residence. He informed that another state minister Arup Biswas has been made the treasurer while three party MPs-- Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Mohua Mitra and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar-- will act as spokespersons.

Kolkata Mayor and state transport minister Firhad Hakim will be the coordinator in the national panel. Besides, Susmita Dev, Mukul Sangma and Subal Bhowmik have been entrusted for building the organization of the TMC in the North East.

Ms Banerjee also decided the mayors for the four municipal corporations where her party won a few days ago. At Asansol, TMC MLA Bidhan Upadhyay who did not contest the civic polls has been made mayor, triggering a strong rebuke from the BJP.

Asansol South BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul tweeted, "A person who is not a voter of Asansol Municipal Corporation is declared MAYOR of AMC. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??

Is there no TMC  leader under AMC suitable for this post?? @MamataOfficial you and @AITCofficial  RIGGED ASANSOL ELECTION &today you made a ‘BOHIRAGOTO’ MAYOR"

At Bidhannagar, Chandannagar and Siliguri, Krishna Chakraborty, Ram Chakraborty and Goutam Deb became mayor.