Trinamool’s Abhishek Banerjee announces ‘short hiatus’ from political activities

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress’ General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, on Wednesday afternoon, announced his decision to take a “short hiatus” from political and organisational activities.

He has cited medical grounds as the reason for this break.

“In light of some pressing medical reasons, I will be taking a short hiatus from the organisation. This time off will be an opportunity for me to humbly explore and understand the needs of our people and community,” Banerjee said in a message posted on his official X handle on Wednesday afternoon.

In the message he has also said that he trusts that the West Bengal government will act swiftly and leave no stone unturned to ensure justice to all those in need.

He has referred to the mass-outreach programme that he organised last year before the panchayat elections in the state, for which he travelled throughout West Bengal interacting with people.

“Last year around this time, I had the opportunity to participate in Nabo Jowar Yatra and travelled across West Bengal to understand the issues and challenges faced by the people on the ground. Witnessing first-hand the hardships caused by rising prices and the stoppage of MGNREGA dues deeply affected me,” Banerjee’s message read.

He claimed that following this observation during the mass outreach programme, Trinamool Congress organised nationwide protests and took the matter to Delhi to fight for people's rights.

“Thankfully, this was addressed in February, along with an increase in financial assistance through the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme to help families,” his message read.

He also thanked the people of West Bengal for the trust and faith in Trinamool Congress in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls.

“The results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections reflect the anger and frustration of the people, especially regarding the neglect of basic housing rights due to the state-Centre conflict. We have committed to addressing this by December 31, and I have already requested the HCM and relevant authorities of GoWB to prioritise this issue,” his message read.