New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) — The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a deepening organisational crisis days after its state election defeat, with large groups of its elected representatives seeking formal recognition as breakaway factions and senior leaders quitting the party. About five days after a group of 58 of the party’s 80 elected MLAs sought recognition as the “original party” in the West Bengal Assembly, reports say 20 of TMC’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs have made a similar request to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office. One Lok Sabha seat from West Bengal, Basirhat, remains vacant following the death of the sitting TMC MP.
The turmoil intensified on Monday, June 8, 2026, when 77-year-old Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy announced his resignation from both the Upper House and primary membership of the party; his Rajya Sabha term was due to end in 2029. Roy had earlier drawn internal criticism for openly supporting protesters demanding justice after the August 2024 rape‑murder of an intern at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and for his public comments on alleged corruption within the party since the Assembly poll loss.
Party insiders and critics point to a combination of corruption allegations, factional rivalry and an organisational shift toward professional consultants under Abhishek Banerjee — entrusted with party affairs — as drivers of discontent. Many long‑time leaders say they feel sidelined, and charges of coercion and mismanagement have fuelled the rebellion.
Ritabrata Banerjee, a former CPI(M) parliamentarian, is reported to have led the dissident MLAs in Kolkata, while in New Delhi Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who reportedly resigned from several organisational posts after being removed as party Whip, is said to have organised a list of dissident MPs and forwarded it to the Speaker seeking recognition as a separate bloc aligned with the ruling National Democratic Alliance. Sources quoted by IANS say she believes the party’s intimation of her removal as Chief Whip has not yet been formally communicated to the Speaker’s office.
Observers have compared the split to recent factional breakups in Maharashtra, where internal divisions produced rival groups that sought formal recognition. Within West Bengal, a string of controversies — from the Sandeshkhali episode and the RG Kar case to more recent signature and corruption scandals — has, critics argue, eroded the party’s moral authority.
Founded 28 years ago, the TMC rose to power in 2011 by displacing a 34‑year Left Front rule amid allegations of arrogance and disconnect from grassroots concerns, most notably in Singur and Nandigram. Now, within roughly a month of its poll defeat, the party faces renewed questions about its leadership, internal cohesion and authenticity.
Final determinations on recognition and any legal consequences will rest with the Election Commission and the presiding officers of the West Bengal Assembly and Parliament, officials say. Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee — who delivered a video message on June 1, 2026 — appears increasingly removed from everyday organisational control as the party navigates the fallout.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/trinamool-congress-crumbles-like-a-house-built-on-sand
Category: India
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-06-08 19:18:00
