TMC on the brink: Parliamentary split, CID searches and growing rebellion

A day after a BJP-backed rebellion erupted within the Trinamool Congress parliamentary party, investigators searched offices linked to party chief Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, deepening a crisis that threatens the regional party's future.

Simultaneous searches were conducted by the state police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the TMC office inside Banerjee’s Kalighat residence and at an office linked to Abhishek Banerjee on Camac Street, ostensibly to locate the original copy of the resolution electing the leader of the TMC legislature party.

Raids amid rebellion

The raids continued for about three hours, though the outcome was not immediately known. Investigators said the searches were linked to allegations that signatures of TMC legislators had been forged on documents submitted for the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.

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While the case concerns an Assembly-related dispute, the timing of the investigation is difficult to ignore. Coming less than 24 hours after rebel MPs claimed the support of 20 of the party's 28 Lok Sabha members and sought recognition as a separate group aligned with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the searches reinforced that the BJP-led government is mounting pressure on the TMC on multiple fronts.

The searches took place while both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee were in New Delhi. The two attended an INDIA bloc meeting on Monday, and on Tuesday Mamata Banerjee met Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, as opposition parties continued discussions on coordination following the political upheaval in West Bengal.

High stakes for TMC

The turmoil is no longer just about who controls the TMC. It has raised broader questions about the future of Opposition politics in West Bengal, as large sections of the party's elected representatives move closer to the ruling BJP.

The unfolding developments suggest that the 71-year-old leader is confronting not only a challenge to her authority but also the prospect of the TMC following the path of regional parties such as the Shiv Sena and the NCP. In both instances, internal rebellions eventually culminated in the rebel factions securing recognition as the official party and retaining its election symbol.

The stakes for Banerjee are unusually high, as the battle could eventually extend beyond organisational control to the coffers of the TMC, one of India’s richest regional parties. According to the party’s latest audited accounts filed with the Election Commission, the TMC controls assets worth more than Rs 1,018 crore and has an accumulated general fund exceeding Rs 1,014 crore.

If the current split deepens and rival factions eventually seek recognition as the legitimate TMC, the dispute could lead to a contest over the party’s finances, organisational network and election symbol. Such an outcome, which appeared unthinkable only weeks ago, is now being openly discussed in Bengal's political circles.

TMC’s rapid unravelling

The reason lies in the speed with which the party has unravelled since losing power.

For years, the TMC’s organisational strength rested on Mamata Banerjee's position as Bengal's most formidable political leader and the party's control of the state government.

The BJP's victory in the Assembly election shattered that assumption. Since then, the party has witnessed a steady stream of defections by councillors, municipal representatives, legislators and now parliamentarians.

What initially appeared to be normal turbulence following an electoral defeat is increasingly resembling an orchestrated crisis to weaken the state’s principal opposition party.

Also read | TMC's many battles: Rebel MPs form NDA bloc in Parliament as Assembly fight reaches HC

Public anger over a string of corruption allegations against many TMC leaders and growing complaints about the erosion of internal democracy provided the rebels with a convenient political justification for their revolt, even though several of the dissidents themselves had faced corruption probes or other charges in recent years.

Bolpur MLA Chandranath Sinha who joined the dissident bloc backing Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition, had earlier faced scrutiny from central agencies over alleged irregularities linked to the previous TMC government.

BJP faces internal unease

Meanwhile, murmurs of dissent have begun to emerge within the BJP as the party throws its weight behind the rebel TMC faction that includes several leaders previously accused by the saffron party of corruption and political abuse of power.

The tensions became evident when BJP minister Arjun Singh publicly demanded the arrest of TMC MP Partha Bhowmick soon after the latter joined the dissident camp led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

For many BJP workers, the perception of a double standard, with leaders who align with the BJP seen as the “good” faction within the TMC and those who remain loyal to the party portrayed as “wrongdoers”, has created an awkward situation.

The party’s effort to break the TMC now relies on several leaders whom BJP leaders had spent years accusing of corruption and political misconduct.

Rebel MPs held their meeting at the New Delhi residence of Union minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday, highlighting the BJP's apparent backing for the dissident group.

Senior Trinamool leader Kalyan Banerjee alleged at a press conference on Tuesday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had personally contacted Yusuf Pathan, one of the party's Lok Sabha MPs, in an effort to persuade him to switch sides.

BJP strategy serves dual goals

The BJP’s strategy serves both state and national objectives. In Bengal, a weakened TMC would make it harder for Banerjee to stage a political comeback and easier for the BJP government to consolidate power.

In Parliament, the arithmetic is equally attractive. The rebel camp claims the support of 20 MPs, a figure that crosses the two-thirds threshold required to avoid proceedings under anti-defection law.

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For the BJP, the rebellion offers a double dividend. It weakens Mamata Banerjee's party while adding to the NDA's parliamentary strength.

The support of 20 TMC MPs would take the ruling coalition well beyond the 300-seat mark in the Lok Sabha, improving its prospects of building broader support for contentious legislations in the future, including proposals for the delimitation of constituencies.

A parallel revolt also appears to be brewing in the TMC's Rajya Sabha ranks. Following Sukhendu Sekhar Ray's resignation, which reduced the party's strength in the Upper House to 12, sources said at least five more MPs are in touch with the dissident camp.