Kolkata, 20 May (H.S.) : Signs of deepening internal divisions within the Trinamool Congress became evident on Wednesday as around 50 party MLAs remained absent from a protest demonstration organised by the party inside the West Bengal Assembly premises.
The protest, staged against alleged post-poll violence and eviction drives targeting hawkers, was attended by several senior leaders including Kunal Ghosh and Ritabrata Banerjee. However, the absence of a significant section of the party’s legislators has intensified speculation over growing discontent within the organisation following the party’s poor performance in the recent Assembly elections.
After suffering a major setback in the 2026 Assembly polls and moving to the Opposition benches after 15 years in power, the TMC leadership has reportedly been holding a series of internal meetings at Kalighat. Both party supremo Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee have attended these meetings, but party workers and legislators have allegedly expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of visible political mobilisation on the ground.
According to party sources, several MLAs raised concerns during Tuesday’s meeting at Kalighat, arguing that holding closed-door meetings alone would not help revive the organisation. They reportedly stressed the need for the leadership to return to street-level political struggles and reconnect with the people.
Sources claimed that questions were also raised regarding the leadership’s silence over allegations involving Jahangir Khan and the perceived absence of Abhishek Banerjee from direct political protests. The discussion reportedly became heated at one stage.
MLAs Sandipan Saha and Ritabrata Banerjee are also said to have demanded disciplinary action, including expulsion, against Jahangir Khan. However, the party has not yet taken any formal decision in this regard.
Political observers believe the absence of nearly 50 MLAs from the party’s first major protest programme after the electoral defeat reflects widening cracks within the TMC.
Party insiders also admitted that despite raising allegations of attacks on workers and criticising hawker eviction drives, much of the protest had so far remained confined to social media campaigns rather than direct public outreach.
Against this backdrop, TMC legislators on Wednesday staged a sit-in demonstration at the foot of the Ambedkar statue within the Assembly premises. The protest was aimed at highlighting alleged post-poll violence and the eviction of hawkers across the state.
However, the large-scale absence of party legislators from the programme has further fuelled speculation about internal discord and organisational drift within the Trinamool Congress.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
