Suvendu Adhikari had accused Abhshek Banerjee of taking a short cut to the party's top rungs.
Bengal's ruling Triamool Congress's patch-up with its rebelling senior leader Suvendu Adhikari -- who recently stepped down from the state minister's post -- has developed a hitch again. This morning, the 49-year-old texted party leader Sougata Roy, who led yesterday's negotiations, expressing his dismay that the details of the meeting were leaked.
"I communicated to you truthfully whatever happened at a meeting last evening and what was decided in the presence of five people," Saugata Roy, an MP of the party, said this afternoon. "If there is any change of mind on part of Suvendu, it is for him to decide and communicate to you," he added.
Mr Adhikari, who left for his home at Kanthi in East Midnapore district last night, did not respond to phone calls or texts. An aide said his press meet on Sunday will be held as scheduled, though the time and venue for it is still not known.
An upset Mr Adhikary can develop into a headache for the ruling party, especially in view of next year's assembly election, where it is facing a stiff challenge from the BJP.
The MLA from Nandigram, whose father and a brother are also party MPs, is said to have some influence over 30 to 50 of the state's 294 assembly seats.
Even if he doesn't change camp, his exit from the party can lead to low morale among local leaders of Malda, Murshidabad, Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore, where Mr Adhikari was the party in-charge till the post of observers was dissolved in July. Many of these leaders are already upset over the fighting words of Abhishek Banerjee, party MP and the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
It was the rise of Mr Banerjee in the party hierarchy that had started the rift between the Chief Minister and her close aides, several of whom have now defected to the BJP and have been responsible for its spectacular show in last year's Lok Sabha elections. The BJP, which held only two seats in Bengal, won 18 of the state's 40 Lok Sabha seats.
On Sunday, Mr Banerjee -- without naming Mr Adhikari, who accused him of taking a short cut to the party's top rungs -- had hit out at him.
"If I had used a parachute or a ladder, I would not have to fight from tough constituency like Diamond Harbour to become MP. I would have stood from south Kolkata, which is my home constituency," Mr Banerjee had said. "My family and I would also have been holding many posts," he had added in a clear attack on Mr Adhikari.
At last evening's meeting in North Kolkata, Mr Banerjee was present along with poll strategist Prashant Kishor.