TMC's Manas Bhunia praises CM Suvendu; takes responsibility for Sabang seat loss

Former West Bengal minister Manas Bhunia on Monday took moral responsibility for the TMC's loss in his stronghold of Sabang but indicated organisational shortcomings while saying that the role of the party's election strategist I-PAC, should be scrutinised.

He even praised Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and said that, as a fellow resident of the Midnapore districts, he was proud that a leader from the region was holding the post.

Addressing a press conference at the party office in Sabang, Bhunia said, ''I am responsible for the defeat (in Sabang)''.

He, however, asserted that no single individual could be blamed for the party's statewide rout, but acknowledged that certain internal shortcomings may have contributed to the setback.

Bhunia also said the activities and functioning of I-PAC should come under scrutiny in the wake of the TMC's electoral debacle.

He also made a sensational allegation that the rise of BJP candidate Amal Panda, once considered his close associate, was aided by certain forces within the party, from Kolkata-level leadership circles to a senior leader in the Ghatal organisational district.

The veteran leader, however, defended TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, saying it would be unfair to burden one individual with responsibility for the party's defeat.

''The responsibility for this defeat cannot rest on one person's shoulders. If there is success, it becomes mine, and if there is failure, the blame is shifted elsewhere. We must come out of this culture,'' he said.

Bhunia also remarked that many leaders now blaming Abhishek Banerjee were among those who once eagerly sought meetings with him.

In comments that are likely to draw political attention, Bhunia praised Adhikari and said he felt proud that a leader from Medinipur had become chief minister.

''After Ajay Mukherjee in the late sixties and seventies, Suvendu Adhikari, a son of the soil from Medinipur, has become the chief minister of Bengal. As a fellow native of the Midnapore districts, I am proud of it,'' he said and urged Adhikari to bring peace and address people's concerns.

''You wipe the tears of the people of Bengal and Medinipur and bring back peace. If I get an opportunity, I will certainly speak to Suvendu,'' he said.

Striking an emotional note, Bhunia also expressed disappointment over what he said was a lack of recognition for his role in facilitating the Congress-TMC alliance during the 2011 political change in West Bengal.

''During the historic political change in 2011, as the then state Congress president, I played a squirrel's role. But nobody ever acknowledged that contribution,'' he said.

Bhunia had been elected MLA continuously since 1982, and Sabang remained his bastion even during the Left Front era. He joined the TMC in 2016 after a long stint in the Congress.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)