Mamata struggles to keep her party united
Just a month after losing power in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) is quickly breaking apart. Most of the remaining legislators and parliamentarians have left the main group, taken over the party’s legislative wing, and left Banerjee struggling to stop more splits.
In the 2026 Assembly elections, the BJP won about 208 seats, while TMC got around 80, down from 215 seats in 2021. Mamata Banerjee lost in Bhabanipur to the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, who is now the Chief Minister. After the loss, the party quickly faced internal problems.
Around June 3-4, about 58-60 rebel MLAs, led by expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee, wrote to the Assembly Speaker saying they were the real TMC legislative party. The Speaker recognised them. They then met the Governor to make their claim. Their numbers protect them from immediate anti-defection action.
The rebels have made serious accusations, including claims of forged signatures on documents submitted to the Speaker, increased control by Mamata’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, and what they call an “Operation Crown Prince” to consolidate dynastic control. They have also questioned why no action has been taken against legislators close to Abhishek and criticised how the party was managed after the election.
The crisis has reached Delhi. Reports say that up to 20 of 28 TMC Lok Sabha MPs have distanced themselves from the official leadership. Some have met with BJP leaders and shown they might support the NDA.
Veteran MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is among those who have publicly left. Mamata Banerjee has responded quickly by expelling some members (including Ritabrata Banerjee), rallying loyalists at her Kalighat home, and dissolving several party groups to strengthen her control.
Loyalists argue the rebels are opportunists exploiting the defeat. Supporters of Mamata Banerjee say the rebels are taking advantage of the defeat and may have help from rivals. However, the wide scope of the revolt in both the Assembly and Parliament suggests there are deeper problems that existed before the election loss.
TMC was built around one leader’s charisma, direct connection with voters, and tight control over patronage and resources. That model delivered spectacular success while in power. Stripped of State authority, the same structure has revealed its fragility. Once the glue of office and fear dissolves, legislators and MPs begin to calculate their individual survival.
The speed of the unravelling is striking. In roughly two weeks of open revolt, the party that ended the Left Front’s 34-year rule and held the BJP at bay for over a decade now risks becoming a diminished, fragmented force. Whether the rebels succeed in claiming the party name and symbols, or whether further desertions follow, will determine whether TMC survives as a coherent entity or becomes less relevant.
Will Not Leave Mamata: Shatrughan
New Delhi: Shatrughan Sinha on Thursday said he would remain with TMC leader Mamata Banerjee, saying she stood by him during a difficult period in his political career. The TMC MP from Asansol said that although some have left Banerjee for various reasons, he would not leave the party or its leader.
“I am issuing a three-line whip to myself. I was with the TMC and Mamata ji, I am with the TMC and Mamata ji, and I will stay with the TMC and Mamata ji. I have no intention of going anywhere,” Sinha said.
Political parties typically issue a three-line whip before voting on important issues in Parliament.
Sinha made these remarks after his name appeared in a list of alleged rebel TMC MPs circulating online and after he posted on X to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi on completing 12 years in office, prompting speculation.
Sinha was previously a member of the Congress before joining the TMC.
Sinha said he would not leave Mamata Banerjee in her difficult times. He added that very few people stood by him when he lost, or rather was made to lose the (Lok Sabha) polls from Patna in 2019, and that Banerjee was one of them.
The actor-turned-politician Sinha contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket from Patna Sahib in Bihar. His wife, Poonam Sinha, was the Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
“We extend our best wishes to our friend and guide of society/nation, Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi, on completing 12 years in office, perhaps the longest tenure ever. Wish you a long, healthy and prosperous life ahead. Jai Hind!” Sinha said in a post on X.
