‘Choose me or Abhishek': Kalyan Banerjee's ultimatum to Mamata on ‘arrogant’ nephew amid MP exodus

“Opt me or Abhishek Banerjee,” Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee has issued a top subject matter to company supremo Mamata Banerjee, farther worsening the ongoing crisis and mass exit of MPs. Kalyan, a staunch Mamata loyalist, on Thursday criticised her nephew and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, calling him “arrogant” and someone who thinks “everyone is beneath him”.Kalyan said that while he supports Didi, he doesn't feel the same about her bhaipo. "I am still with Didi but won't tolerate Abhishek Banerjee's arrogance. I have quit all cases related to Banerjee," Kalyan Banerjee said.Even though Banerjee has been slamming rebel MPs over the past few days, his latest ultimatum to the TMC supremo has fuelled speculation of a split in the party.‘I deserve some respect’Kalyan's decision to opt out of cases linked to Abhishek Banerjee came with a lengthy rant on how he was not consulted before another writ petition was filed and another lawyer took over a case he was handling. "Around 12.30 pm, a lawyer came and informed me that a separate writ petition had been filed regarding the search and that a senior lawyer would be handling it. I asked, 'If you had already filed this matter, why didn't you discuss it with us? This is completely illegal.'" Follow live updates on the TMC crisis here.His remarks came shortly after the Calcutta High Court heard a plea filed by Abhishek in connection with allegations of forged signatures of MLAs submitted to the Bengal Assembly. According to Kalyan Banerjee, he was the one who mentioned the case before the court for an urgent hearing on Wednesday, a day after searches were carried out at Abhishek and Mamata's offices in Kolkata. “I spent the night preparing the case. Even today, you can see that I am going everywhere, taking risks and doing my work. Yet their habit of showing disrespect has not changed. He (Abhishek Banerjee) thinks everyone is beneath him, as if everyone is merely an employee from Camac Street,” Banerjee said.Also Read: Back to where it began? TMC crisis triggers talk of merger with Congress, the party Mamata left in 90sBanerjee also flagged the “disrespect” he feels and said he was “ordered” around despite a 45-year-old legal career. “He (Abhishek) has become so arrogant... Does not respect anyone. That is why I have stepped aside. This morning I also told Didi: choose between me and Abhishek Banerjee,” Kalyan said, as quoted by PTI.‘If Didi chooses Abhishek…’“Let Didi decide whats she wants to do. Till now I am with her,” Banerjee said, adding: “If Didi decides to go with Abhishek then I would decide my own."Banerjee has joined a chorus that was amplified after the TMC suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the BJP last month. Reservations against Banerjee paved the way for one of the biggest rebellions Trinamool ever saw.Also Read: The faces behind the TMC revolt - and why Mamata Banerjee should worryEarlier this month, 58 Trinamool Congress lawmakers disowned Banerjee and pleaded with Mamata to be their adviser. The rebel camp, which made up for over three-fourth of the party's MLAs in Bengal, was led by expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee.A similar scene is now playing out in Parliament, with several MPs leaving the TMC's side. While at least 14 lawmakers met in Delhi earlier this week, more names quit their Parliament membership, hinting at a big TMC split. The latest to join this list were Sushmita Dev and Prakash Baraik, who left their Rajya Sabha memberships and fuelled buzz of joining the BJP.