Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee had anticipated a rebellion within her party after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s landslide victory in the Assembly polls, but failed to avert it. Several TMC leaders said that Mamata had refused to resign as chief minister on May 5, claiming the counting process was rigged, which was seen as a desperate message to dedicated TMC workers and leaders.
The BJP won a record 207 seats, while the TMC secured only 80, with the difference in seat share pointing to the polarisation of Hindu votes in favour of the BJP. A splinter group of 58 MLAs was recognised as the main TMC in the Assembly, with dissent against the party’s national general secretary and Mamata’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, simmering for long.
Mamata did not take corrective steps, and continued to rely fully on her nephew through I-PAC to run the party, sidelining many senior leaders during the Assembly ticket-selection process. The party had unrest since its 2021 victory over Abhishek Banerjee’s decision to outsource the party’s operations to I-PAC.
Over 100 municipal councillors have resigned from the party, and 58 of the 80 MLAs have formed a splinter group in the Assembly, which has been recognised as the TMC in the Assembly. Former transport minister Snehasish Chakraborty said, “The party was operating in a corporate style for several years. There was nobody to listen to us.”
