Gearing up for Lok Sabha polls: From backroom to streets, Abhishek Banerjee's image makeover
Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who has been more of a strategist and worked mostly from the backroom for Bengal's ruling party, seems to be undergoing a political image makeover.
Since the start of this month, he has led sit-in protests in New Delhi and then in front of the Raj Bhawan in Kolkata, demanding funds to pay workers under the rural employment guarantee scheme that, according to his party, the BJP government at the Centre has been denying the state.
This is the first time that he has led a street protest, in what is seen as a larger strategy to step into the shoes of aunt Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool supremo and BengalCM known for her «street fighter» image. Mamata Banerjee was absent at both Delhi and Kolkata protests where Abhishek was surrounded by senior leaders, MPs, MLA and ministers.
Images of Abhishek Banerjee being dragged out of Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi by the Delhi Police last week brought back memories of Mamata Banerjee in her youth shouting slogans as a Youth Congress leader and her journey forward, such as the protest against the Tata Nano factory in Singur, political observers said.
«There is an attempt of a political makeover and changing himself into a grassroot leader,» a political analyst observed.
Some observers believe Abhishek Banerjee is modelling himself on her aunt and taking the lead ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. «Abhishek Banerjee was seen leading from the front during the recent two month-long 'Nabojowar' programme, a people-connect campaign, in which he travelled from Coochbehar to Sagar island ahead of panchayat polls and took active role in selection of the candidates,» one of them told ET.
Hitting the streets over the NREGA issue — this
