Agencies | Kolkata:
The internal rift within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) intensified on Friday as a high-level meeting convened at the Kalighat residence of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saw a starkly low turnout. Only eight MLAs and a handful of parliamentarians attended the session, compounding the party’s vulnerabilities just days after approximately 60 of its 80 MLAs skipped a crucial organizational gathering.
The party leadership quickly issued a statement seeking to quell speculation of a massive internal revolt, clarifying that the huddle was restricted to the National Working Committee rather than a general body meeting of all elected representatives. The TMC further noted that several key working committee members, including Mahua Moitra, Sushmita Dev, Mukul Sangma, and Rajesh Tripathi, participated in the deliberations virtually.
Parliamentary Absence Stokes Speculation
Despite the official clarification, the absence of the vast majority of the party’s lawmakers highlighted the severe organizational strain.
- Lok Sabha: Out of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs, only four were physically present at the Kalighat residence, including Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.
- Rajya Sabha: The deficit was equally pronounced in the upper house, with 11 of the TMC’s 13 Rajya Sabha MPs absent. Senior leaders Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen were the sole Rajya Sabha members in physical attendance.
Among the legislative assembly members (MLAs) who attended the meeting were party stalwarts Firhad Hakim, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Biman Banerjee, Madan Mitra, Beena Mondal, Ashima Patra, Kunal Ghosh, and Ashok Deb.
Rebel Camp Projects Absolute Majority
The meeting took place against the backdrop of an aggressive push by the newly formed dissident faction. Rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, who was designated as the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly on Wednesday, claimed that momentum is shifting decisively away from the high command.
“As far as our numbers are concerned, that number will keep going up,” Ritabrata Banerjee stated. “We have presented a number that is more than two-thirds, and that number will be higher when we meet during the Assembly session.”
When questioned about a parallel rebellion brewing among the party’s parliamentary ranks, the opposition leader remained circumspect, stating he had not broken communication lines but had not spoken directly with any MP over the preceding seven days.
Unprecedented Structural Existential Crisis
Political analysts view the ongoing “Asli TMC vs Mamata” power struggle as the most formidable threat to the party since its inception. The political slide began rapidly after the Trinamool Congress lost the West Bengal state assembly elections to the BJP—a defeat compounded by Mamata Banerjee losing her own stronghold seat of Bhabanipur to Suvendu Adhikari.
In the wake of that electoral upset, institutional dissent regarding Banerjee’s unilateral leadership style spilled into the open. As the party attempts to contain the fallout by already expelling two of its 80 MLAs, intelligence sources suggest the crisis could widen significantly, with reports indicating that a substantial faction of rebel MLAs are looking to defect, and at least 20 TMC MPs are currently in active communication with the BJP.
