Mamata Banerjee battles to retain control as TMC faces historic internal rebellion

The Trinamool Congress founder is scrambling to prevent a total party collapse as a mounting exodus of legislators threatens her 28-year-old political legacy.

The political landscape in West Bengal is in a state of flux as Mamata Banerjee, 71, launches a desperate, last-ditch effort to keep the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from splintering. Following the end of her 15-year rule in the state, the party is currently navigating the most precarious period since its inception. From her residence in Kalighat, Banerjee has spent the last 48 hours making frantic phone calls to wavering legislators, attempting to bridge the widening chasm between the party leadership and a growing rebel faction.

The crisis reached a breaking point on Wednesday when 58 of the party’s 80 assembly members aligned themselves with a rebel camp spearheaded by the expelled Ritabrata Banerjee. This move, which saw the rebels effectively seize control of the legislature party, was officially recognized by assembly speaker Rathindra Bose. As the party grapples with these developments, today’s high-stakes meeting at Kalighat is being viewed as the final litmus test for the TMC leader’s authority. The turnout at this gathering will likely determine whether the veteran politician can reclaim her hold over the disgruntled MLAs or if the party is destined for a formal split.

A contagion reaching beyond the Assembly

The tremors shaking the TMC are no longer confined to the legislative assembly. The rebellion has spread to the grassroots level, with over 100 municipal councillors tendering their resignations in recent days. High-profile departures, including that of former transport minister Snehasish Chakraborty, have further destabilized the party’s organizational structure.

The anxiety within the party leadership is palpable, as there are mounting concerns that the internal revolt could soon destabilize the party’s parliamentary presence. With 28 members in the Lok Sabha and 13 in the Rajya Sabha, the TMC is bracing for a potential cascade of defections at the national level. To mitigate this, senior party strategists have deployed trusted MPs to lobby their colleagues, urging them to remain within the fold rather than defecting to the "new Trinamool" currently being touted by the rebels.

The threat of a Parliamentary split

The gravity of the situation was laid bare by veteran Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy. In a candid assessment, Roy cautioned that the volatility witnessed in the state assembly is "likely in the Lok Sabha too," warning that the party could face a significant dismemberment if the current trend of dissent is not arrested immediately.

For Banerjee, the challenge is twofold: she must soothe the grievances of elected officials who feel marginalized by the current power structure while simultaneously preventing a wholesale exodus that would effectively strip her of her party’s remaining influence. As reports circulate in publications like the Hindustan Times, the focus remains on whether these individual outreach efforts—comprising phone calls and direct personal appeals—will be sufficient to quell a rebellion that has been building for months.