The Trinamool Congress’s recent electoral setback in West Bengal has triggered not just attacks from political rivals, but growing discontent from within its own ranks. The latest and perhaps one of the sharpest voices of dissent comes from former minister and once-trusted Mamata Banerjee aide Partha Chatterjee, who has openly held both the party supremo and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, responsible for the debacle.
In an exclusive interaction with NDTV, Chatterjee launched a scathing assessment of the party’s leadership, alleging that corruption was ignored under Mamata Banerjee’s watch and claiming that the leadership had gradually drifted away from ordinary people.
“Mamata Banerjee overlooked all corruption. And both Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee are responsible for such a result,” Chatterjee said, adding that the party had become increasingly disconnected from the masses.
He also criticised the party’s reaction after the electoral setback, suggesting that the Trinamool Congress struggled to come to terms with the public mandate instead of introspecting over its shortcomings.
Chatterjee reserved some of his strongest criticism for Abhishek Banerjee, accusing him of altering the party’s political character and style of functioning.
“Abhishek Banerjee tried to change the political culture of our party. The way he attacked Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the campaign was not acceptable. It was against Bengal’s political culture. It was derogatory, but the party did not stop him,” he said.
His remarks appeared to carry an underlying message aimed directly at Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and her role in shaping the party’s future.
“The party cannot become a platform for grooming an individual. Leadership is not achieved overnight. A leader must emerge through struggle and earn the trust and confidence of people,” he said.
Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, entered the party structure in 2011 when he was appointed national president of the All India Trinamool Youth Congress. Over the years, his rise within the organisation was swift. In 2021, he was elevated as the party’s National General Secretary and currently serves as the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha.
However, his rapid rise has often been viewed as a point of friction within the party. Several senior leaders, many of whom had long-standing ties with Mamata Banerjee, reportedly felt sidelined as his influence expanded. Ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, dissatisfaction among sections of the leadership had prompted several defections to the BJP.
