New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday rubbished reports of rift with poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and said both worked as “one team” under West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and will “continue to collaborate” in future.
“There is absolutely NO MERIT in the hugely speculative & unsubstantiated reporting regarding the difference of opinion or working relationship between TMC and @IndianPAC. Under the leadership of @MamataOfficial, we work as one team and will continue to collaborate in the future,” the TMC posted on its official Twitter handle.
The clarification came a day after senior TMC leader Derek O’Brien drew a distinction between the ruling party in West Bengal and I-PAC.
The Rajya Sabha MP said I-PAC is a political collaborator with certain deliverables but the agency or any of its officials do not necessarily reflect the TMC’s opinion.
“TMC is the first political party who have hired I-PAC for five years and they have certain deliverables to do. I-PAC has reach-out on the ground, communication and social media. All this is evaluated by the national working committee chaired by Mamata Banerjee,” he said on Wednesday, PTI reported.
The TMC’s clarification also assume significance as several senior leaders are said to be upset over Kishor taking credit for the party’s painstaking efforts in the West Bengal Assembly elections and in other states.
They are also said to be displeased with Kishor’s growing clout inside the party.
According to sources, the remarks by several new entrants, including former Meghalaya Congress leader Mukul Sangma, that they had joined Banerjee-led party at Kishor’s request have not gone down well with the senior TMC leadership.