The Trinamool Congress plunged deeper into crisis after suspending three of its own spokespersons — Kohinoor Majumdar, Riju Dutta and Kartik Ghosh — over alleged anti-party remarks for six years following the party’s crushing defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections.
The dramatic crackdown has exposed widening cracks inside the TMC as political rebellion, leadership criticism, and public infighting threaten to destabilise Mamata Banerjee’s once-unshakable Bengal empire.
The dramatic purge, ordered by the party’s disciplinary committee led by TMC MP Derek O’Brien, came as panic and blame ripped through the party after its crushing electoral humiliation at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In an official statement, the TMC accused the three spokespersons of violating party discipline and damaging the organisation’s image at a time when the party is battling its worst political crisis in over a decade. The suspensions came close on the heels of show-cause notices issued to five spokespersons whose public outbursts and criticism of the leadership had triggered alarm within the shaken party machinery.
The move exposed the growing civil war brewing within the TMC after the BJP’s thunderous victory in Bengal. The saffron camp stormed to power with a staggering 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, while Mamata Banerjee’s once-dominant party was reduced to a bruised and battered tally of just 80 seats—a collapse many within the TMC are calling nothing short of a political apocalypse.
Party insiders say the leadership was furious after several spokespersons openly questioned the top brass’s functioning and the disastrous campaign strategy that led to the wipeout. The notices, issued under Derek O’Brien’s supervision, demanded explanations within 24 hours as to why strict disciplinary action should not be initiated for “breach of party discipline.”
Apart from the three suspended leaders, show-cause notices were also served to senior Malda leader Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury and Papiya Ghosh after their public criticism of the party leadership intensified the internal storm.
‘According to senior party leaders, the rebellion was no longer confined to closed-door meetings. “The remarks were made openly on social media and during media interactions,” a TMC insider admitted, revealing the extent of the chaos consuming the organisation after the electoral disaster.
Majumdar reportedly triggered outrage within the party after claiming that even senior TMC leaders were often forced to wait for hours to secure meetings with national general secretary Abhishek, widely regarded as the party’s most powerful figure after Mamata.
Chowdhury, meanwhile, openly criticised the Diamond Harbour MP’s style of functioning, fuelling whispers of growing resentment against the party’s centralised leadership structure.
Riju Dutta further inflamed tensions after praising the BJP government’s measures to curb post-poll violence in a social media post — a move many TMC loyalists viewed as outright political betrayal at a moment when the party was struggling to survive its biggest humiliation in 15 years.
Despite the growing uproar, Derek O’Brien and senior leader Chandrima Bhattacharya, both members of the disciplinary committee, refused to comment publicly on the controversy, deepening speculation about the scale of the crisis unfolding within Bengal’s defeated ruling party.
KEY FLASHPOINTS BEHIND THE SUSPENSIONS
Anti-party rebellion: The suspended leaders were accused of publicly attacking the party leadership, questioning the election strategy and exposing internal frustrations after the devastating poll defeat.
Emergency disciplinary crackdown: The TMC disciplinary committee moved swiftly, issuing show-cause notices demanding replies within 24 hours before swinging the axe on three spokespersons.
Leadership under fire: Alongside Kohinoor, Dutta, and Ghosh, leaders like Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury and Papiya Ghosh also came under scrutiny for publicly criticising the leadership and organisational functioning.
BJP’s historic victory triggered a meltdown: The BJP’s landslide win of 207 seats shattered the TMC’s 15-year dominance in Bengal, unleashing anger, finger-pointing, and rebellion within the party ranks.
TMC once ruled West Bengal with the swagger of a political dynasty that believed defeat was impossible. That illusion is now shattered. What unfolded on May 9 inside the corridors of the TMC was not routine disciplinary action. It was political panic exploding in public view. A party that once projected invincibility is now consumed by suspicion, anger and internal rebellion after suffering one of the most humiliating electoral collapses in Bengal’s modern political history.
In a dramatic crackdown following the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election debacle, the Trinamool Congress suspended three of its most conspicuous spokespersons — Majumdar, Dutta and Ghosh—for six years over alleged anti-party remarks and ‘breach of organisational discipline.’
The punishment was vindictive, and the message was even clearer: Speak against the leadership, and the party will crush you. But beneath the official statement lies a far more explosive truth: ‘TMC is no longer fighting only the BJP. It is fighting itself.’
BENGAL’S POLITICAL GIANT BROUGHT TO ITS KNEES
For 15 years, the TMC dominated West Bengal politics with unmatched authority. Mamata was not merely a chief minister; she became the emotional centre of Bengal’s anti-BJP resistance. Her party machinery stretched from Kolkata’s power circles to the remotest rural booths. The TMC controlled the narrative, the streets, the organisation and, for years, the political imagination of Bengal itself.
Then came the 2026 Assembly elections. And the entire structure collapsed like a house of cards. The BJP stormed to power with a staggering 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, reducing the TMC to just 80 seats in what many political observers are calling Bengal’s biggest political earthquake in decades. The scale of the defeat stunned even seasoned analysts.
In constituency after constituency, saffron flags replaced the green-and-white colours that had defined Bengal’s political landscape for over a decade. Senior TMC leaders were routed. Strongholds fell. Grassroots workers looked shell-shocked. Inside party offices across the state, silence replaced confidence. And within days, the blame game began.
THE RENEGADES WHO TURNED AGAINST THE PARTY
The three suspended spokespersons were not outsiders. They were party loyalists — faces that regularly appeared on television debates defending the TMC against opposition attacks.
That is precisely why their rebellion hit the leadership so hard. According to party sources, Kohinoor Majumdar, Riju Dutta and Kartik Ghosh openly questioned the leadership’s functioning and criticised the party’s disastrous electoral strategy after the crushing defeat.
The TMC leadership viewed the remarks as betrayal at a moment when the party was already bleeding politically. Before the suspensions, the party’s disciplinary committee issued show-cause notices to five spokespersons, including Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury and Papiya Ghosh. They were asked to explain within 24 hours why disciplinary action should not be initiated against them for violating party discipline.
The notices were issued by TMC MP Derek O’Brien, a senior member of the party’s disciplinary committee and one of the organisation’s most prominent public defenders. But by then, the damage had already spread far beyond internal memos. The rebellion was now public. And Bengal was watching every second of it.
KOHINOOR MAJUMDAR’S FIERY SOLILOQUIES TRIGGERED WRATH
Among the comments reportedly infuriating the leadership were remarks by Majumdar about TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Majumdar allegedly told reporters that even senior party leaders often had to wait for hours to secure meetings with Abhishek, Mamata’s nephew and widely seen as the second-most powerful figure in the party. Inside the TMC, this was considered political blasphemy.
For years, whispers of excessive centralisation within the party circulated privately among district leaders and grassroots workers. Many complained that decision-making had become concentrated within a small inner circle disconnected from organisational realities on the ground.
“In an official statement, the TMC accused the three spokespersons of violating party discipline and damaging the organisation’s image at a time when the party is battling its worst political crisis in over a decade”
But very few dared to say it openly. Majumdar did. And the consequences were immediate. “The leadership felt humiliated,” said a senior political observer in Kolkata. “Because once internal criticism becomes public after a crushing defeat, it creates the impression that the party is losing control from within.”
RIJU DUTTA’S ‘MELODRAMATIC’ AWE FOR BJP
If Majumdar’s comments embarrassed the leadership, Dutta’s remarks enraged it. He reportedly drew intense criticism after praising the BJP government’s efforts to curb post-poll violence in a social media post — an act many TMC loyalists viewed as political betrayal at the highest level.
For a party trying desperately to rebuild morale after electoral devastation, the timing could not have been worse. But insiders say Dutta’s frustration reflected deeper anger brewing inside the organisation. Several party workers privately admit that resentment against the leadership had been growing long before the election results were announced. Complaints over arrogance, lack of consultation, poor ticket distribution, internal factionalism and strategic failures had quietly accumulated beneath the surface. The defeat simply detonated the pressure cooker.
“The election result broke the fear,” said one former TMC district worker who requested anonymity. “People who remained silent for years suddenly started speaking.”
KARTIK GHOSH AND THE GROWING ATMOSPHERE OF DEFIANCE
Ghosh’s suspension further reinforced the perception that the TMC leadership was determined to crush dissent before it spread wider across the organisation. According to party insiders, several spokespersons had openly questioned not only the campaign strategy but also the leadership’s functioning during media interactions and on social media.
The leadership feared that allowing public criticism to continue unchecked could trigger larger rebellion among district units already shaken by the scale of the defeat. And perhaps that fear is not unfounded. Across Bengal, the mood within the TMC has shifted from confidence to uncertainty.
Grassroots workers speak of confusion and anger. Local leaders fear political isolation under the BJP’s new power structure. Senior functionaries privately admit the organisation appears emotionally shattered. The suspensions were intended to restore discipline. Instead, they exposed how fragile the party’s internal unity has become.
DEREK O’BRIEN’S DAMAGE-CONTROL MISSION
The disciplinary crackdown was overseen by the committee led by Derek O’Brien and senior leader Chandrima Bhattacharya. Both leaders avoided detailed public comments after the suspensions, maintaining official silence while the political storm intensified outside.
But insiders say the disciplinary action was intended as a warning to the rest of the party. The leadership wanted to project authority. It wanted to show that, despite the electoral humiliation, dissent would not be tolerated. Yet political analysts believe the move may have produced the opposite effect.
“When parties lose badly, people expect accountability and introspection,” said a Kolkata-based political commentator. “Instead, the TMC leadership appears more focused on silencing criticism. That creates an image of panic.” And panic is politically contagious.
THE BJP VICTORY THAT CHANGED BENGAL FOREVER
The BJP’s 207-seat triumph did more than change the government. It fundamentally altered Bengal’s political psychology. For years, many believed the BJP would struggle to break through Bengal’s strong regional identity and anti-Hindutva political culture. Mamata Banerjee positioned herself as the ultimate shield against saffron expansion.
That narrative now lies in ruins. The BJP’s victory exposed deep vulnerabilities inside the TMC that had long been hidden beneath years of electoral success. Allegations of corruption, resentment against powerful local leaders, accusations of arrogance, and growing frustration over centralised control all combined into a perfect political storm.
“The party became disconnected from ordinary workers,” said a former campaign volunteer. “People at the top stopped listening.” That criticism is now being echoed openly by suspended leaders and frustrated party insiders alike.
MAMATA BANERJEE FACES THE BIGGEST CRISIS OF HER CAREER
For Mamata personally, the crisis is deeply existential. The woman who ended the Left Front’s 34-year rule in Bengal now faces the possibility of watching her own political empire fracture under the weight of internal distrust. Unlike previous political battles, this crisis cannot be blamed solely on opposition propaganda or on central agencies. The dissent is emerging from inside her own party. And that makes it infinitely more dangerous.
Political observers say the biggest challenge before Mamata is not merely rebuilding the organisation electorally — it is restoring faith inside the party itself. Once workers begin to lose confidence in leadership, political decline accelerates rapidly.
The suspensions of Majumdar, Dutta and Ghosh may temporarily silence public criticism. But they cannot erase the growing perception that the TMC leadership is struggling to contain a full-scale internal implosion.
BENGAL ENTERS A NEW POLITICAL ERA
West Bengal has entered uncharted territory. The BJP’s sweeping victory marks not merely a change of government but a seismic shift in Bengal’s political psychology. For decades, the state resisted the BJP’s expansionist ambitions. That resistance has now been decisively breached.
At the same time, the TMC’s internal implosion threatens to reshape opposition politics in eastern India. Will Mamata regain control and rebuild the party from the ashes? Or will factionalism, resentment and leadership battles accelerate the party’s decline?
The suspensions announced on May 9 may ultimately be remembered not as an act of discipline, but as the moment Bengal witnessed the beginning of a brutal political reckoning inside one of India’s most powerful regional parties. For now, the message from the TMC leadership is clear: dissent will not be tolerated. But in Bengal’s volatile political theatre, suppressing dissent rarely makes anger disappear. It only makes the explosion louder.
