TMC's rebel leader now LoP, ED summons Abhishek, mayor ‘quits’: Mamata faces many setbacks

TRinamool united states congress chief Mamata Banerjee on wed appeared to human face multiple setbacks, which feature left wing many questioning the standing of the party that once ruled West Bengal.In just one day, rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee was elected the leader of the opposition, reports surfaced of Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim ‘resigning’, and the Enforcement Directorate's summons to Abhishek Banerjee in the primary teachers' recruitment scam.This blow for TMC also comes a month after it suffered a major loss against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the West Bengal Assembly elections.Multiple setbacks for MamataRebel leader becomes LoPIn a massive setback for the TMC, West Bengal Assembly speaker Rathindra Nath Bose recognised the 58 rebel legislators as the principal opposition party in the 294-member House, making Ritabrata Banerjee the next leader of opposition.The rebel faction, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, comes after MLAs in the party called to move away from Abhishek Banerjee, who has been the second in command since 2016.“Mamata Banerjee is a tall leader. We appeal to her to be our principal adviser. We can play a positive and constructive role as the opposition with her advice. If we have to vote against a bill we will, but we won’t walk out to help someone else,” said Banerjee, adding that this decision was part of their move against "individualism."The internal rift in TMC also comes after over 100 councillors resigned from their posts, and many skipped work.Kolkata mayor to quit?In another setback, senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on Wednesday said party leader Firhad Hakim will resign as Kolkata mayor. Hakim, who has been a long-time trusted aide of Mamata's, cited difficulties in functioning after the BJP came to power."At that time, he was asked not to resign. However, he again requested Mamata Banerjee today to allow him to step down, following which she agreed," Ghosh told reporters on Wednesday.Despite Ghosh's statement, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Chairperson Mala Roy told PTI that she had not received any resignation letter from the mayor.ED summons Abhishek BanerjeeThe Enforcement Directorate summoned TMC's general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Banerjee, who is also Mamata's nephew, has been asked to appear before the central agency on June 15 in relation to a money laundering probe linked to the primary teachers’ recruitment case in the state.The summons from ED comes after the agency suspected that Banerjee was a beneficiary of the recruitment scandals in the state.Along with the teacher recruitment scandal, ED had questioned Banerjee in 2022 in connection with its probe into money laundering worth ₹1,352 crore in an illegal coal mining case. The TMC general secretary is also under the scanner in connection with probes pertaining to the political consultancy firm, I-PAC.