Saugata Roy, a Lok Sabha MP of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), said the party is currently in a serious crisis [1].
This admission comes as the TMC faces a structural collapse, splitting at both the Lok Sabha level in Delhi and the state-legislature level in West Bengal [1]. The internal fracturing threatens the party's stability following a defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections [2, 3].
Roy said that he is not a defender of Abhishek Banerjee [1]. His comments suggest a growing willingness among senior members to challenge the influence of the party leader's nephew. This contradicts previous accounts from expelled TMC leader Sandipan Saha, who said that no one can speak against Abhishek Banerjee within the party [4].
Roy said that Mamata Banerjee bears responsibility for the current turmoil [1]. The dissent appears to be rooted in the party's recent electoral losses and the perceived centralization of power [2]. While some reports suggest that dissent is being suppressed through forced displays of loyalty, such as mandatory standing ovations for Abhishek Banerjee, other accounts describe the current level of opposition as unprecedented [2, 4].
The crisis is compounded by regional instability. On May 21, 2024, protests were announced across Kolkata following alleged hawker evictions [5]. These local grievances have coincided with the broader political instability within the TMC leadership [3].
Roy's public critique marks a departure from the party's usual projection of unity. By linking the crisis to both the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and the role of Abhishek Banerjee, Roy has highlighted a divide between the party's traditional base and its current management [1, 2].
“TMC is in a serious crisis”
The public dissent from a senior figure like Saugata Roy indicates that the Trinamool Congress is experiencing a systemic breakdown. The simultaneous split at the state and national legislative levels suggests that the party's internal mechanisms for resolving conflict have failed. This instability may weaken the party's ability to govern in West Bengal and reduce its leverage in national coalition politics.
