TMC hit by internal rift after poll defeat; mass resignations buzz defection buzz; signs of rebellion within the party?
Following a crushing defeat in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is grappling with internal turmoil. While the party leadership is attempting to regroup in the wake of the Assembly election results, signs of rebellion within the organization have also begun to surface.
Immediately after the elections, the TMC staged a protest inside the West Bengal Legislative Assembly complex regarding the poll results. However, the sparse attendance of party MLAs at this demonstration came as a surprise to everyone. Out of the TMC's 80 MLAs, only 36 participated in the sit-in protest held near the statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.
Interestingly, this is not the first indication of dissent within the party. Prior to this, on May 19, about 15 MLAs reportedly skipped a crucial party meeting held at Kalighat.
Major Blow to TMC in Two Municipalities
The political situation has become even more tense following mass resignations in two municipalities in the North 24 Parganas district—Kanchrapara and Halisahar.
In the Kanchrapara Municipality, 15 out of the 24 TMC councilors tendered their resignations, dealing a severe blow to the party's local unit. A similar situation was seen in the Halisahar Municipality, where 16 out of the 23 TMC councilors resigned en masse.
These sudden resignations have fueled intense speculation that many of these leaders may join another political party in the coming days.
Meeting with BJP MLA Further Intensifies Speculation
According to reports, Sudipta Das, the BJP MLA from Bijpur, recently met with the municipal representatives, further fanning the flames of political speculation. Sources claim that a plan for resignation was discussed during a meeting of TMC councilors held in Kalyani on May 17.
On May 20, an emergency meeting was reportedly convened at the Halisahar Municipality office in the presence of the Vice-Chairman. Following this meeting, 16 councilors—led by Raju Sahani—collectively resigned from their posts.
Notably, the group of those who resigned includes five female councilors.
Despite this political upheaval, the Chairman of the Halisahar Municipality, Subhankar Ghosh, has not resigned and continues to hold his position. Subsequently, BJP MLA Sudipta Das released an official list of the councilors who had tendered their resignations. He also sought to reassure residents, stating that civic services within the municipality would continue without any interruption.
Das stated, “These resignations will have no impact on public services. The work of the municipality will continue as usual.”
These developments have intensified political activity in the state, and speculation is mounting that the rebel councilors may eventually join the BJP.