On Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) uploaded private WhatsApp chats between two Trinamool Congress (TMC) Members of Parliament (MPs), Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad, that are indicative of the factionalism within the West Bengal ruling party. The chats mention “beautiful activities of a versatile international lady,” hinting at internal conflict as the TMC heads towards the next high-stakes Assembly polls.
In response to the messages that were leaked, veteran TMC leader Sougata Roy was embarrassed, stating, “The screenshots that were released have embarrassed us. This did not need to occur.” He urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take action, emphasizing there must be internal privacy within political parties.
The WhatsApp messages, posted by BJP’s Amit Malviya on X, are reported to have comments from Azad suggesting Banerjee was consuming excessive amounts of alcohol and urging him to “please end your childish and unpredictable behavior.” NDTV could not verify these messages as true.
The two MPs were also spotted fighting in a public brawl at the Election Commission of India on April 4, 2024, as they had gathered to submit a memorandum. The TMC had instructed its MPs to gather at the Parliament office first before proceeding to the EC, reports said, but one MP defied these orders, which led to a fight.
Malviya’s version says this confrontation snowballed into a fight quickly, with interventions from police staff who were present on the scene. The fight then reached Mamata Banerjee, who allegedly told both MPs to calm down. The rivalry continued even within the TMC’s “AITC MP 2024” WhatsApp group, with groups taking sides and hurling insults.
The “versatile international lady” is said to be a description referring to another TMC MP, and Banerjee subsequently named Mahua Moitra as the “rude” MP with whom he had exchanged angry words. The leaked messages are said to have come to light shortly after the public spat, serving to add further speculation about the party’s internal dynamics.
Malviya quoted, “This is the stuff legends are made of,” while sharing details of the ongoing tensions. In footage of the incident, Banerjee, four-time Lok Sabha MP, and TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien, along with some women MPs, are seen and heard, with Banerjee asserting his seat as a TMC MP isn’t on the grounds of any ‘quota’ or previous alliances with other rival parties.
With the political developments as they are, there are still a lot of questions about who is the “sophisticated international lady” and how this internal strife will impact the TMC before the elections.
