Allegations of Financial Scandal Emerge Amid TMC Symbol Dispute in West Bengal
New Delhi, September 1: The internal conflict over the Trinamool Congress (TMC) election symbol in West Bengal has escalated into serious allegations of financial misconduct. Ritabrata Banerjee, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, claims that approximately ₹30 crore has been transferred from the party’s accounts to a company called ‘Leaps and Bounds,’ linked to Abhishek Banerjee. He alleges that the TMC is diverting attention from this financial issue under the guise of the symbol dispute, especially following statements made by the Solicitor General in the Supreme Court, which have turned this into one of the largest political scandals in the country.
Ritabrata Banerjee stated, “Don’t just mention the election symbol; talk about everything. The focus should be on the funds as well. When it becomes evident that party money is being sent to the nephew’s company, it will further damage their image. That’s why they are in such a hurry to create a narrative. Both sides have already written to the Election Commission, so why the rush? Patience is needed regarding the decisions of the largest institution.”
He further remarked, “Such a situation has never occurred in the political history of India. There are no accounts or record books, and whatever ‘Dr.’ Mamata Banerjee says is taken as the truth. The Solicitor General mentioned in the Supreme Court that nearly ₹30 crore was transferred to a company named Leaps and Bounds, which is currently under investigation for the SSC scam and has been charged. This is a massive scandal, unprecedented in any political party in India.”
Meanwhile, Abhishek Banerjee, the TMC’s national general secretary and MP, criticized the BJP government, accusing it of misusing governmental machinery to target opposition parties.
In a social media post, Abhishek Banerjee wrote, “The BJP government was not satisfied with illegally removing our party’s signboard just three days ago. Today, the fire department was sent to our party office for a fire safety audit, accompanied by cameras and the usual media spectacle. Wow! One cannot help but be impressed by this administrative enthusiasm.”
He questioned the lack of such administrative activity when thousands of election machines were destroyed in a mysterious fire just a month before the elections. Abhishek noted, “It is unfortunate that such enthusiasm was nowhere to be seen when, within just a month before the elections, a mysterious fire destroyed 4,000 control units, 4,000 ballot units, and 4,000 VVPATs. Why was there no concern for fire safety then? Why was there no thought of a fire audit? Where was the administration’s rush in front of the cameras at that time?”
The TMC leader accused the BJP and the Election Commission of collusion, stating that the government showed no concern when 12,000 election machines burned, yet suddenly became alarmed about fire safety at the opposition party’s office.
