In a significant political shift, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ended the 15-year rule of Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal by securing a commanding victory in the assembly elections. The BJP stormed to power for the first time in the state, reducing the TMC’s strength in the assembly to 80 seats from 215 in 2021, while the saffron party claimed 207.
Mamata Banerjee, the TMC supremo, has rejected the results, accusing the BJP-led central government and the Election Commission of orchestrating a “loot of votes.” She has declined to step down as Chief Minister and indicated plans to revive her role as a combative street fighter, similar to the one that helped the TMC topple the Left Front’s 34-year dominance in 2011. “I am now a free bird. I was on the streets once and I will be there again,” she declared, while extending outreach to the Opposition INDIA alliance.
Despite the sharp decline, the TMC retains notable national presence with 29 Lok Sabha and 13 Rajya Sabha members. However, Banerjee confronts formidable obstacles in rebuilding the party. She suffered a personal setback, losing her stronghold of Bhabanipur in South Kolkata to former aide and prominent BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari by more than 13,000 votes.
Several senior TMC ministers and leaders, including Chandrima Bhattacharya, Shashi Panja, Arup Biswas, Sujit Bose, and Bratya Basu, were defeated. The party’s attempt under national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata’s nephew, to shift toward a performance-driven structure now appears at risk.
Signs of internal discontent have surfaced swiftly. At a meeting convened by Mamata at her Kalighat residence to strategize and lift morale among newly elected MLAs, at least 10 lawmakers were absent. Senior leaders have openly criticised key figures, with some targeting Abhishek Banerjee’s style of functioning and the role of the political consultancy firm I-PAC. The TMC has distanced itself from such remarks, clarifying they represent personal views and not the party’s official position.
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Post-poll violence has further strained the atmosphere, highlighted by the murder of Chandranath Rath, Suvendu Adhikari’s executive assistant, in Madhyamgram. The TMC has condemned the killings of its workers and demanded a CBI probe, while expressing fears that a BJP government will intensify legal scrutiny. Multiple TMC leaders already face probes by central agencies such as the ED, CBI, and Income Tax department, including cases linked to an alleged coal scam that has touched Abhishek Banerjee and his wife. Mamata urged her MLAs to strengthen legal teams in anticipation of more cases.
The TMC, once known for strong grassroots organisation and second-rung leadership, now grapples with a visible vacuum. Its vote share dropped to 40.8% from nearly 48% in 2021, even as the BJP’s rose to 45.8%. Upcoming civic and panchayat polls in 2027-28 will test the party’s resilience, but insiders worry that its anti-Centre narrative may lose relevance, leaving it burdened by the record of its long tenure in power.
