Kalimpong Trinamul functionary files written complaints with top leaders against Shanta Chhetri

TMC member Chawang Bhutia accuses the Rajya Sabha member of nepotism and corruption

Bireswar Banerjee   |   TT  |   Siliguri   |  23.07.21: A senior Kalimpong Trinamul functionary, considered a flag-bearer of the party in the district, has filed written complaints with top leaders, including party supremo Mamata Banerjee, against Rajya Sabha member Shanta Chhetri. 

Trinamul leader Chawang Bhutia has accused Chhetri, who is also the party’s district president in Kalimpong, of nepotism and corruption. 

“She (Chhetri) is from Kurseong and is an outsider in our district. Ever since she has been made the district president, she is running the party on her own and never consults others who are with Trinamul for almost a decade now. During the past few months, she made some changes in important posts and has such people who are new and lack mass support,” Bhutia, who is in Calcutta currently, said over phone.

According to Bhutia, in 2012, he had opened the Kalimpong unit of Trinamul (it was not a separate district then) and was its president. In 2014, he was the president of the Trinamul (hill) committee.

Party insiders said Bhutia and Chhetri had differences ever since the latter was made the party president of Kalimpong district. “But things took an ugly turn recently, as Chhetri removed him from the post of the district Youth Trinamul president. Bhutia has been claiming that his removal was made without the consent of state leaders,” said a party leader.

Bhutia, who sent letters to party supremo Mamata Banerjee, party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and to Trinamul leaders Subrata Bakshi and Aroop Biswas, said Chhetri has no authority to remove him.

“She can’t make such a decision as I am the founder of Trinamul’s branch committee and have struggled for years against the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. We also have information that she has indulged in corruption and furnished all details to the state leaders,” said the disgruntled Trinamul leader. 

The new youth Trinamul president of Kalimpong, Bhutia said, joined the party only a year ago.

“All other leaders of the youth wing, who put efforts to build the party's base in Kalimpong, are against this decision,” he said.

Chhetri, when contacted, was brief in her reaction.

“I have been appointed as Trinamul head in Kalimpong by top leaders of the party. Whatever changes I made in the district were with consent from appropriate quarters.  I prefer not to comment on some other issues that the Trinamul leader (Bhutia) has raised,” she said. 

(https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/kalimpong-trinamul-functionary-files-written-complaints-with-top-leaders-against-shanta-chhetri/cid/1823568)