Infighting breaks out within TMC, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar writes to Lok Sabha Speaker complaining about verbal abuse and misogyny by party MP Kalyan Banerjee

TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accusing Chief Whip Kalyan Banerjee of verbally abusing her and other women MPs.
Kakoli Ghosh and TMC Chief Whip Kalyan Banerjee (Image via TIE and NDTV)

Fresh signs of internal rift have emerged inside the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after party MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar formally approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla with a complaint against senior TMC leader and Chief Whip Kalyan Banerjee.

In a letter written on Thursday, 28th May, Kakoli Ghosh accused Kalyan Banerjee of verbally abusing her inside the Lok Sabha and using disrespectful language towards women MPs. She also sought permission from the Speaker to file a formal complaint and demanded action in the matter.

“I seek your permission to lodge a formal complaint to you for redressal against Lok Sabha member of AITC Kalyan Banerjee, who has repeatedly verbally abused me inside the Lok Sabha. This misogyny has been against many lady members and needs to be punished,” Kakoli Ghosh wrote in her letter to Om Birla.

The complaint has triggered fresh political discussions as it openly exposes growing divisions inside the TMC parliamentary camp after the party’s recent electoral setback in West Bengal.

Allegations of misogyny and misbehaviour

In her letter, Kakoli Ghosh said that Kalyan Banerjee’s behaviour was not limited to her alone and claimed that several other women MPs had also faced inappropriate conduct from him. She requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to intervene in the matter and ensure “appropriate punishment” against the senior TMC MP.

The development is being seen as a major escalation in the ongoing tensions within the party. Kakoli Ghosh was once considered one of Mamata Banerjee’s close and trusted leaders, but recent changes inside the party appear to have widened differences.

Removed from Chief Whip post after the election results

The dispute comes shortly after Mamata Banerjee reshuffled the party’s parliamentary structure following the West Bengal Assembly election results. Kakoli Ghosh was removed from the post of Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha, and the responsibility was handed over to Kalyan Banerjee.

Sources within the party said Kakoli Ghosh was deeply upset over the decision. She had also indirectly expressed her disappointment on social media after being removed from the position.

Political observers believe the latest complaint reflects the growing dissatisfaction among some TMC leaders after the organisational changes made by the party leadership.

Four-time MP from Barasat

The move came after she recently resigned on 24th May, the four-time Barasat MP resigned from all organisational responsibilities in the TMC, a day after attending former chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s administrative review meeting in Kalyani despite alleged instructions from the party asking her not to participate. 

Sixty-six-year-old Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is a four-time MP from West Bengal’s Barasat Lok Sabha constituency. She first won the seat in 2009 on a TMC ticket and retained it again in 2014, 2019 and 2024.

Apart from being an MP, she has also served as the national president of the TMC women’s wing and has remained one of the party’s prominent women faces for several years.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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