Trinamool Congress Faces Internal Crisis Amid Senior Resignations and Defections
The Trinamool Congress is experiencing significant internal turmoil, with senior figures including Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev resigning and 58 of 80 West Bengal Assembly MLAs breaking away to form a separate bloc. Trinamool MP Sagarika Ghose attributed the exodus to BJP pressure and alleged weaponization of central agencies against opposition members in West Bengal. The party's leadership has emphasized that Mamata Banerjee remains central to the party's identity despite the defections.
The Trinamool Congress is confronting one of its most severe internal crises, marked by multiple high-profile resignations and a major split in its West Bengal Assembly contingent. Sushmita Dev quit her Rajya Sabha seat and party membership, following earlier departures including Sukhendu Sekhar Roy. Most significantly, 58 of the party's 80 West Bengal MLAs have broken away to form a separate bloc under Ritabrata Banerjee, which has been recognized as the principal opposition. In response, senior party figures including Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose have defended the party's leadership, with Ghose asserting that "there is no Trinamool Congress without Mamata Banerjee." Ghose attributed the departures to alleged BJP pressure and weaponization of state agencies in West Bengal, where the BJP holds power. Meanwhile, Trinamool's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has been meeting with opposition leaders including Congress's Rahul Gandhi to discuss INDIA bloc coordination, though senior figures have dismissed speculation of a Congress merger.
What's missing
The article does not provide details on the specific reasons cited by defecting MLAs for their departure, the electoral performance metrics that prompted the internal crisis, or the timeline and sequence of events leading to the formation of the breakaway bloc.
What different sources said
- NDTVCenter
"No Trinamool Without Mamata Banerjee": Sagarika Ghose To NDTV
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