Kolkata, June 18: The internal turmoil within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has escalated to a financial level. Former party treasurer and ex-minister Arup Biswas has written to a private bank, requesting an immediate freeze on all transactions related to the TMC’s bank account.
In a letter revealed on Thursday, Biswas urged the bank to maintain the status quo by halting withdrawals and other debit transactions until the ongoing dispute regarding the party’s leadership and control is resolved.
This development is significant, especially after TMC appointed former MP Subhashish Chakraborty as the new treasurer following their defeat in the assembly elections. However, in his letter to the bank, Biswas asserted that he remains the legitimate treasurer of the party.
According to an audit report submitted to the Election Commission, approximately ₹675 crore is deposited in this TMC bank account. Biswas’s letter was dated June 12 and was received by the bank on June 16.
In his correspondence, Biswas highlighted that various factions within the party are claiming to be the legitimate representatives and officials of the TMC, creating confusion over who has the authority to operate the bank account. He appealed to the bank to prevent any unauthorized person from making withdrawals or conducting transactions and to safeguard against potential misuse of previously signed checks.
In the letter, he stated, “I, Arup Biswas, as the treasurer of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), inform you that there is a serious dispute regarding the party’s rights and control. Therefore, to protect the organization’s funds, no debit transactions or operational changes should be allowed in the bank account until clear instructions are received from the competent authority.”
Responding to this situation, Subhashish Chakraborty claimed he was unaware of the letter. He asserted that he is the treasurer of the state organization, while Biswas was the treasurer of the All India Trinamool Congress. When asked if there are separate bank accounts for the state and national organizations, he confirmed that there is only one bank account for the party.
The internal strife within the TMC has been escalating since their electoral defeat, with the party now appearing to be divided into three factions: one comprising rebel legislators, another of rebel MPs, and a third led by Mamata Banerjee.
The faction supporting Sudip Bandopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, which has merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), has stated its intention to continue claiming the TMC’s election symbol. Meanwhile, legislators supporting opposition leader Ritabrata Banerjee are referring to themselves as the “real Trinamool.”
Biswas’s actions are politically significant, as he has been considered close to Mamata Banerjee during the current rebellion. Despite being removed from the treasurer position during the organizational reshuffle on June 5, he was retained as the party’s general secretary.
In the meantime, after avoiding summons three times following the arrest of his brother Swaroop Biswas and police summons related to the Messi case, Arup Biswas finally appeared before officials at the Bidhannagar South police station on Thursday.
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