Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament, has resigned as the Barasat organisational district president [1].
The resignation signals growing internal friction within the party following poor performance in recent Assembly elections. By publicly targeting the party's strategic consultants, Dastidar has highlighted a rift between grassroots leadership and centralized data-driven campaigning.
Dastidar said she was taking moral responsibility for the party's failure in the polls [1]. The move comes amid a period of reflection for the TMC as it evaluates its standing in the Barasat district of West Bengal [2].
Beyond her own resignation, the lawmaker directed sharp criticism toward I-PAC, the political consultancy firm hired to manage the party's election strategy. Dastidar said the firm's approach led to "dangerous results" [2].
This public critique of I-PAC is notable because the consultancy has long been credited with shaping the TMC's electoral successes. Dastidar's decision to link the party's defeat to the firm's strategy suggests that the consultancy's influence may be facing a backlash from veteran party members, who feel the strategy disconnected the party from its base [1].
The TMC has not yet issued a formal response to the specific allegations regarding I-PAC's role in the poll debacle [2]. Dastidar remains a Member of Parliament despite stepping down from her local organizational role [1].
“Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has resigned as the Barasat organisational district president”
This resignation reflects a tension between traditional political organizing and the modern, consultant-led model of election management. When high-ranking officials like Dastidar publicly blame I-PAC, it indicates that the party may be shifting toward a period of internal restructuring to regain local trust after a strategic failure.
