A meeting of newly elected Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators failed to take off after only 20 of 80 MLAs attended [1].
The low attendance follows an attack on General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and raises questions about the internal cohesion of the party. While the TMC maintains the absence was strategic, observers suggest it may signal a shift in the party's internal power dynamics.
The gathering took place at the Kalighat residence of Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, West Bengal [1]. Party officials said the absent legislators were busy organizing ground protests against authorities over alleged political violence [1]. Approximately 60 members, roughly three-quarters of the newly elected group, did not attend the session [1].
The meeting occurred one day after the attack on Abhishek Banerjee [1]. The timing has led some analysts to link the missing legislators to concerns regarding the grip Mamata Banerjee maintains over the party [1], [2].
Former governor of Meghalaya and Tripura Tathagata Roy commented on the unusual nature of the situation. "...I have never heard or seen such a thing where someone refuses to ..." Roy said [2].
The TMC has not provided further details on which specific MLAs were absent or the exact nature of the protests being organized. The party continues to frame the situation as a response to political violence rather than internal dissent [1].
“Only 20 of 80 newly elected Trinamool Congress legislators attended a meeting”
The significant absence of legislators during a high-level party meeting suggests a potential disconnect between the TMC leadership and its newly elected representatives. Whether the absence was a coordinated protest against political violence or a sign of waning authority for Mamata Banerjee, it indicates a period of instability within the party following the attack on Abhishek Banerjee.
