Deb to share hill charge with Aroop - Snipping of wings for loss of Siliguri municipal election, say minister's critics

Mamata Banerjee at Mahakal temple in Darjeeling on Thursday.
Picture by Suman Tamang

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, June 18: Gautam Deb, widely seen as Trinamul's point man in north Bengal, will share charge of the party's affairs in the Darjeeling hills with housing minister Aroop Biswas, a move being seen as Mamata Banerjee's bid to clip his wings after the Siliguri civic loss.

During a meeting with Darjeeling Trinamul leaders at Richmond Hill here today, Biswas was asked to look into party affairs in Darjeeling along with Deb.

In the April elections, the Left won the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Deb's first serious setback since 2011.

A week ago, Deb was removed from the post of chairman of North Bengal State Transport Corporation and replaced by Sourav Chakraborty, who is the party district president for Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar. Deb, who is the north Bengal development minister, had been helming NBSTC since April 2012.

Biswas, also the youth affairs minister and known to be close to Tollywood stars, is part of Mamata's travelling team to north Bengal this time.

That Deb will have to share responsibility with Biswas was not announced at any news briefing.

When Binny Sharma, the spokesman for the hill Trinamul, was asked about the meeting at Richmond Hill, he said: "Apart from Gautamda, Aroop Biswas has also been given additional charge to look after the party affairs in the hills."

Aroop Biswas in Darjeeling on Wednesday.
 (Suman Tamang)

Sharma refuted the theory that Deb had been cut to size by the party. "The thought was that if there is someone in Calcutta, it will be easy to co-ordinate affairs with leaders based there," he said.

A source in the party said they were surprised with the development.

"However, it should not be misunderstood as the fact is that Gautam Deb will still be in charge of the party's affairs in the hills and that Aroop Biswas will only be helping him out in organisational matters," the source said.

Deb said: "There were discussions on the party's organisation and Aroop Biswas will also be helping me out." Deb will continue as the chairman of the party's steering committee in north Bengal.

However, if changes in the party in the recent past are taken into consideration, cutting down Deb to size by making him share responsibility is similar to Mamata's effort to hem in the Adhikari family, who run the two Midnapores as their fief.

In May 2014, Subhendu Adhikari, credited with making Trinamul an unchallenged force in Nandigram and dramatically changing the political fortunes of the party, was removed as the Trinamul Youth Congress state president.

Mamata also made Subhendu's father, MP Sisir Adhikari, share his responsibility as East Midnapore district president with an arch-rival.

A Trinamul leader in Siliguri who has been a critic of Deb said: "The minister is unilateral in his dealings with everyone. He does not take other leaders' suggestions."

A source in Siliguri Trinamul said a section of hill leaders also dislikes Deb. "That could also be a reason for appointing Biswas," the source said.

Today, Mamata requested the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute to train members of the disaster management cell at the centre. The HMI has been asked to prepare a detailed report on the matter.