Mamata Banerjee is running out of time. Almost two-thirds of the Trinamool Congress’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs have come together to form a separate bloc and support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). 

“We need 19 to form a separate bloc. We have those many signatures, but there is some confusion over the stand of one of them. It should be sorted out soon,” one of the rebel MPs told Newslaundry on Friday morning, requesting anonymity. 

They are supposed to submit a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, stating that they want to work as a separate bloc and support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The rebellion is being led by four-time MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Shatabdi Roy. 

This comes close on the heels of 60 of her party’s 80 MLAs forming a separate bloc in the West Bengal assembly. Besides, four Rajya Sabha MPs resigned in quick succession – Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, Prakash Chik Baraik and Koel Mallick. No doubt, the 71-year-old Banerjee is facing the worst crisis of her political career spanning five decades. 

It could not have been more embarrassing. After the formation of a separate bloc in the assembly and the parliamentary team showed hints of a split, Banerjee dissolved all committees of the party on June 3, only to make fresh appointments a few days later. 

She named Mala Roy and Saayoni Ghosh, MPs from Kolkata South and Jadavpur, respectively, as the head of the party’s women’s wing and youth wing. Within five days, both have reportedly joined the rebel camp. These two constituencies broadly cover the TMC’s traditional south Kolkata bastion. 

Neither Roy nor Ghosh could be reached over the phone. Both were in Delhi on Wednesday night and reportedly met West Bengal’s new BJP chief minister Suvendu Adhikari at Union minister Bhupendra Yadav’s residence.  

So, what triggered the collapse like a house of cards? 

According to several politicians Newslaundry spoke to, there were a few triggers that opened the lid on pent up grievances over the way the party has been run and, especially, the party chief responded after the defeat. The spree of arrests of TMC leaders, from former ministers to corporators, only pushed them to decide quickly. 

The triggers 

TMC leaders are speaking of six triggers that led to the rebellion. 

First, on May 6, two days after the results, during the first meeting of the MLAs at Banerjee’s south Kolkata residence, she asked all MLAs to stand up in respect to the fight that the 38-year-old Abhishek had put up. This irked several MLAs. 

Second, on May 14, Banerjee replaced Ghosh Dastidar with Kalyan Banerjee as the party’s chief whip in Lok Sabha. This irked not only Ghosh Dastidar, but also some other women MPs, who had not been on good terms with Kalyan. Ghosh Dastidar publicly expressed her dissatisfaction and resigned from all party posts soon after. 

Third, during the same meeting, no MPs were asked to comment on what they thought caused the debacle. No discussion happened. Only Mamata and Abhishek spoke. MPs only received instructions on aiding and assisting party workers facing political violence. 

Fourth, on May 15, Banerjee met members of the zilla parishads from across the state. There, she said that if anyone has any criticism of the top leadership, they must submit them in writing to Chandrima Bhattacharya. The message spread and MPs and MLAs understood they, too, will have to give it in writing if they had any criticism. 

Fifth, on May 19, Abhishek Banerjee’s blue-eyed-boy and Falta candidate Jahangir Khan withdrew from the contest 48 hours before the repoll, blaming the party leadership for abandoning him in this adverse situation.  

Notably, after the Election Commission announced that a repoll will be conducted for the entire Falta assembly after the results of the rest of the seats would be out, Abhishek posted a strongly-worded challenge: “Bring everything you have got. I challenge the entire Union of India- Come to Falta. Send your strongest, send one of the godfathers from Delhi. If you have got the nerve, contest in Falta.”

However after the results showed the TMC’s rout, Abhishek did not go to campaign for the Falta candidate. After Khan withdrew, impacting the morale of TMC workers and leaders across the state, other MLAs demanded action against Khan and his patron, Abhishek.  

“But Didi made it clear she will protect Abhishek at every cost and we’ll all have to stay silent and continue taking orders from Abhishek. She would have drowned, taking all of us along,” said a rebel MLA, unwilling to be named. The names of all signatories in the rebel camp letter has not come to the fore yet. 

Sixth, Mamata’s arbitrary announcement of the new committee, with Abhishek continuing as all-India general secretary and Chandrima Bhattacharya as the new state unit chief triggered more grievances. Her acceptance among party leaders is narrow and she did not win this election either. 

How Mamata, Abhishek or Chandrima responds to these charges remains to be seen, as party leaders from different ranks are speaking of these issues publicly. “Didi will address all issues at the right time,” said pro-Mamata MLA Madan Mitra. 

‘Everything happened as per Didi’s wishes’

 The anger and frustration within the party can be sensed from the comments of three leaders who are still saying they are with the party chief. 

“Given the party’s current state, everyone should have sat down together to decide on the state president. Everything happened according to Didi's own wishes. Now the situation is for her to deal with. A state committee was suddenly announced without any discussion. Can a party function this way?” said seven-time MLA Ashok Kumar Deb on June 8.

Kunal Ghosh, TMC MLA and the most prominent spokesperson of the Mamata-faction, said the day after: “Who is giving the party chief feedback that everything is alright? A party can make mistakes, but it’s not okay when mistakes keep repeating. What was our leadership doing when so many MPs became disgruntled? Does it mean that those who are in charge of major all-India responsibilities lost touch with these MPs?” 

‘In charge of major all-India responsibilities’ refers to Abhishek, the party’s all-India general secretary and leader in Lok Sabha. 

And Kalyan Banerjee, whom the TMC chief only recently rewarded with the party’s Lok Sabha chief whipship, declared on June 11: “I’m not Abhishek’s employee. I will tell Mamata-di: either keep Abhishek and let us go, or keep us and remove Abhishek. The party has been ruined because of him. Yet, his arrogance remains undiminished.” 

And the signals 

The grievances were organic, but the rebel bloc formation was not. 

On May 4, after the results were out, Suvendu Adhikari said in one of his first media reactions that he will personally see to it that the TMC is finished. “All parties will be there, except the TMC. They have poached opposition MLAs since 2011. Now I’ll see how many of their MLAs remain,” he said. 

Notably, Adhikari himself had the reputation of being one of the TMC’s key poaching masters when he had been with the TMC. Adhikari joined the BJP in 2020.  

This May, after grievances grew among TMC MLAs and MPs, Adhikari and Union minister Bhupendra Yadav actively engaged with the rebel MPs and MLAs to help them gain numbers. 

Besides, there was another unmistakable signal: while TMC leaders, including sitting and former MLAs, former minister and panchayat and municipal leaders are facing different investigative agencies, landing up in jail and dealing with public harassment – those rebelling were receiving additional security. 

The first signal came on May 20, when news broke that rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar’s security had been beefed up and she had been granted CISF personnel for her protection. In June, several rebel camp TMC MLAs from Birbhum district had their security increased. 

This was in contrast to what the majority of TMC leaders are facing. Abhishek Banerjee was heckled when he went to meet the family of a victim of political violence. Sitting MLA Dilip Mandal, former ministers Sujit Bose and Ujjwal Biswas, former MLAs Sabyasachi Dutta, Khokon Das, Asit Majumdar, Tapan Chatterjee, Saokat Molla and Debaprasad Bag landed behind the bars on charges like corruption, extortion and violence. 

Dozens of municipal corporators and panchayat leaders have been roughed up by locals – allegedly BJP supporters – and eggs thrown targeting them, before the police arrested them or while in custody.  

Following the arrest of Sabyasachi Datta, pro-Mamata MP Sougata Roy alleged that the arrest was made to please Ghosh Dastidar, with whom Datta reportedly had political rivalries. 

Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra criticised Ujjwal Biswas’s arrest. A group of people had stormed into Biswas’s residence, accused him of hoarding relief material like tarpaulin, clothes and rice, and threw eggs at him before the cops took him away.  

According to Moitra, the Mamata Banerjee government used to send relief material to MLAs in advance before monsoon sets in. After the Adhikari government asked all defeated MLAs to return these relief materials, Biswas himself informed the local administration about the stock at his home and asked them to collect it. 

“However, BJP people came before the administrative people, heckled him and got him arrested,” Moitra alleged. 

TMC MLA Madan Mitra feels that everybody can see what’s happening. “The BJP’s operation washing machine is in full swing. Those who rebel against Didi will get security and other protection, while those who stay with Didi will face police and mobbing. I’m ready to face what may come, but I’m not leaving Didi,” he told Newslaundry.  

Bengal BJP leaders remained tightlipped, saying everything was being dealt with by people higher up and it would not be wise for them to comment. 

Newslaundry has sent text and WhatsApp messages to BJP Bengal unit president Samik Bhattacharya, seeking his response on the allegation that Bhupendra Yadav and Suvendu Adhikari spoke to rebel TMC lawmakers to help them gain numbers. This report will be updated if a response is received.

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