The fracture lines within the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) have shifted from quiet whispers to a public collapse. In a move that signals a deeper existential crisis for the party, Raj Chakraborty, the prominent filmmaker and former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Barrackpore, has formally announced his retirement from politics.
Chakraborty’s exit comes in the wake of the 2026 election results, which saw the TMC suffer a significant blow in West Bengal. While the loss of a seat is a standard political setback, the manner of Chakraborty’s departure—coupled with a wave of public rebellions from senior leaders—suggests a party struggling with internal cohesion, leadership disputes, and a perceived disconnect from its grassroots base.
The resignation is not an isolated incident but the tipping point of a broader insurrection. Former ministers, party spokespeople, and veteran organizers are now openly criticizing the party’s top brass, alleging that “organizational arrogance” and a reliance on external strategists have alienated the very voters who once propelled the party to power.
A Bridge Burned: The Exit of the ‘Star’ Candidates
Raj Chakraborty’s foray into politics began in 2021, representing a strategic effort by the TMC to blend celebrity influence with legislative power. However, in a social media statement released Thursday, Chakraborty indicated that his journey had reached its natural conclusion. “My political life began in 2021. The people gave me an opportunity to serve,” he wrote. “That chapter ended in 2026, and with it, my journey in politics.”
Chakraborty’s departure follows a similar trajectory of disillusionment seen in other celebrity-politicians. Actor and Member of Parliament Dev has also acknowledged the “people’s verdict,” offering congratulations to the BJP’s victory. More tellingly, Dev has appealed to the incoming administration to ensure artistic freedom and unity within Bengal’s film industry—a request that implicitly suggests a strained relationship between the arts and the previous political establishment.
The ‘Didi vs. Abhishek’ Divide
At the heart of the TMC’s current turmoil is a reported power struggle between the party’s founder, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. While the party has long maintained a facade of unified leadership, former high-ranking officials are now breaking that silence.
Rabindranath Ghosh, a senior TMC leader and former minister from Cooch Behar who was denied a ticket in the recent elections, alleged a systemic split in the party’s command structure. Ghosh claimed that the party has effectively divided into two camps: one loyal to “Didi” (Mamata Banerjee) and another to Abhishek Banerjee.
Ghosh’s allegations are particularly damaging, as he suggests that Abhishek Banerjee exerted undue pressure on the Chief Minister to validate his decisions, thereby hindering her ability to make “natural” or intuitive political choices. This internal friction, according to critics, created a paralysis in decision-making that contributed to the party’s electoral decline.
| Leader | Former Role/Region | Primary Grievance |
|---|---|---|
| Raj Chakraborty | MLA, Barrackpore | General retirement following 2026 defeat. |
| Rabindranath Ghosh | Former Minister, Cooch Behar | Factionalism between Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee. |
| Manoj Tiwari | Former MLA, Shibpur | Factionalism blocking development in Howrah. |
| Riju Datta | TMC Spokesperson | Coerced into making scripted personal attacks. |
| Bikash Roy Chowdhury | Former MLA, Birbhum | Over-reliance on non-Bengali I-PAC consultants. |
| Dr. Sujoy Chakraborty | Former Chair, Howrah Municipal Corp | Pressure to collect funds from contractors. |
The I-PAC Influence and Grassroots Alienation
A recurring theme among the rebels is the role of professional political consultants. Bikash Roy Chowdhury, a former MLA from Birbhum, pointed specifically to the influence of I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee). Chowdhury argued that while Mamata Banerjee was the glue that held the party together, the introduction of external consultants—many of whom are not from Bengal—created a cultural and political rift.
“They came to teach us,” Chowdhury remarked, suggesting that the data-driven approach of the consultants overshadowed the traditional, relationship-based politics of the TMC. This sentiment is echoed by critics who argue that the party lost its “touch” with the common citizen, replacing genuine grassroots engagement with curated optics and strategic maneuvering.
Allegations of Coercion and Corruption
The crisis has also taken a legal and ethical turn with allegations of financial coercion. Dr. Sujoy Chakraborty, former Chairman of the Howrah Municipal Corporation Board of Administrators, resigned Thursday evening under a cloud of controversy. He alleged that Abhishek Banerjee pressured him to resign from his civic post last year after he refused to collect funds from contractors and traders for the party fund.
Simultaneously, the party’s communication wing is in shambles. Riju Datta, a TMC spokesperson, issued a public apology for his conduct during the campaign, specifically regarding personal attacks made against Suvendu Adhikari. Datta claimed that 99% of his statements were not his own but were dictated by the party leadership. His admission suggests a culture of forced narratives and a lack of intellectual autonomy within the party’s public-facing roles.
Further compounding the instability, Manoj Tiwari, who represented Shibpur in 2021 but was denied a ticket in 2026, alleged that development work in Howrah was deliberately sabotaged due to the ongoing factional warfare and a general sense of insecurity within the leadership.
As the TMC attempts to navigate this period of instability, the focus now shifts to whether Mamata Banerjee will initiate a structural overhaul of the party or if the current exodus of senior leaders will continue. The party has not yet issued a formal response to the specific allegations made by Dr. Sujoy Chakraborty or Rabindranath Ghosh.
The next critical checkpoint will be the upcoming internal organizational meeting scheduled for next month, where the party is expected to address the 2026 failures and determine the future role of external consultants in its strategy.
We invite our readers to share their perspectives on the current political shift in West Bengal in the comments below.
