Mamata Banerjee empowers nephew in youth wing: Dynastic politics in Trinamool?

Kolkata, Oct 18: Is West Bengal Chief Minister and

(TMC) supremo

the latest Indian politician to have flagged off dynasty politics? Political circles in Bengal were abuzz with such speculation after Banerjee placed her MP nephew Abhishek Banerjee at the helm of the Trinamool Youth Congress. Earlier, she merged the Trinamool Congress Yuva with the Trinamool Youth Congress.

During a party meeting on Friday that lasted several hours, Banerjee effected several other organisational changes as well and asked the leaders to speak up against the media which she accused of tainting her party's image.

Banerjee also appointed Ashok Rudra in place of Shonkudeb Ponda, the Trinamool Youth Congress's state president. The latter will now be a general secretary of the party's youth Congress. The TMC supremo also reduced the weight of Dola Sen, the defeated MP from Asansol and handed over her responsibility of guiding the trade union wings of the party to veteran leader and minister Subrata Mukherjee.

Party strongman Anubrata Mondal, who courted controversies recently by making attacking comments against the Opposition, was also sidestepped as former state minister Chandranath Sinha was made the party's spokesperson in Birbhum district.

However, it was former railway minister Mukul Roy who is believed to have received the biggest blow in the entire shuffle. According to well-informed sources, Roy's position in the party has been weakened in the wake of the Saradha chit fund scam and the top leadership hence decided to clip his wings, despite him being the No. 2 in the party. Roy was given the observer's responsibility for Nadia district while Banerjee's nephew replaced Soumitra Khan, who is known to be close to Roy.

Roy's son Subhrangshu was also removed from an important position.

Oneindia News