All is not well within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), a party that was once considered politically invincible in West Bengal. After suffering a crushing defeat to the BJP in the Assembly elections, the TMC has plunged into one of the most serious internal crises in its history. Senior leaders who had kept the party machinery running smoothly for years are resigning in quick succession.
The party is also facing a rebellion by a section of its MPs. While continuing to describe Mamata Banerjee as their leader, the dissident MPs have formed a separate bloc and announced their intention to support the NDA.
Amid this political turmoil, a major controversy over the party’s finances has opened another front that could further destabilise the TMC.
Explosive allegations of “cut money” and chartered flights
The latest dispute erupted after rebel TMC MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Ritabrata Banerjee demanded an investigation into the party’s funds and questioned the source of the money held and spent by the organisation.
Banerjee alleged that the party’s money could have come from “cut money,” siphoned government funds or the proceeds of scams. However, these allegations have not yet been proven.
He said that a police complaint had been lodged seeking an investigation into the source of the funds.
“Actually, the MLAs have almost no information about this. A complaint has been lodged to investigate the source of these funds–whether it is ‘cut money,’ siphoned government funds, or proceeds from scams. All of this needs to be probed. We wouldn’t be able to prove it ourselves. That is why we filed an FIR; if the government investigates, the truth will come out,” Banerjee told ANI.
He also alleged that party resources had been misused and questioned the expenditure incurred on chartered flights.
“Crucially, this money shouldn’t be used this way–the charter flight to Delhi costs Rs 4 to 4.5 crore just for the round trip. Yet, the party has no funds for common workers fighting legal battles. We have stated in the FIR that there must be an investigation and that these transactions should be halted immediately,” he said.
Frozen bank accounts and “backstabber” counter-charges
Meanwhile, former TMC treasurer Aroop Biswas sought an immediate freeze on the operation of the party’s bank accounts, citing an ongoing dispute over the authority and control of the All India Trinamool Congress.
In a letter dated June 12 and addressed to the manager of an HDFC Bank branch in Kolkata, Biswas identified himself as the party’s treasurer and requested that the bank maintain the status quo. He asked the bank not to permit debit transactions or changes to the operational mandates governing the party’s accounts until the dispute was resolved by a competent authority.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, however, hit back at the rebels on Sunday. He alleged that expelled Entally MLA Sandipan Saha had used Rs 25 lakh from the party’s election account to finance his campaign and demanded that the rebel legislators return the money they had received.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said the rebel MLAs had contested and won elections on the TMC symbol with financial assistance from the party but were now demanding an investigation into the same account.
“Rebel MLA Sandipan Saha spent a total of over Rs 27 lakh during the election, out of which Rs 25 lakh was taken from that account. They became MLAs for the first time on the party’s symbol and its funds, and today, they are seeking a probe into the very same account. They should immediately return the money to the Election Commission,” Ghosh said.
He described the rebel legislators as “backstabbers” and alleged that their actions were part of a conspiracy orchestrated by the party’s political opponents.
“According to the law, if illegal money is used for any election purpose, then that election stands illegitimate. This is a conspiracy, and these backstabbers are working as per the advice of the opponents,” he added.
The remarks came amid an escalating dispute within the TMC over the party’s finances, bank accounts and leadership.
How the TMC’s internal crisis began
The internal crisis intensified after TMC MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha alleged that their signatures on a resolution proposing Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition were forged.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also alleged that more than 10 names on the document had been written in block letters. He questioned the authenticity of the resolution and claimed that it had been manufactured and fabricated.
Following the allegations, the principal secretary of the West Bengal Assembly filed an FIR at Hare Street Police Station on the Speaker’s directions. The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department, which constituted a Special Investigation Team to examine the alleged forgery.
The rebellion within the TMC intensified further after 58 MLAs from the party’s original tally of 80 backed a dissident faction. The rebel group subsequently supported Ritabrata Banerjee’s appointment as Leader of the Opposition, replacing the Mamata Banerjee-led faction’s nominee, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay.
With dissident MPs forming a separate bloc, rebel MLAs challenging the leadership, senior figures resigning and serious questions being raised about the control and source of the party’s funds, the Trinamool Congress is facing one of the gravest organisational crises in its history.
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