Mamata Banerjee continues to stand firmly behind Abhishek, overlooking what many consider the most practical step towards defusing the crisis — temporarily removing him from key leadership responsibilities.
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In a last-ditch effort to prevent her party from collapsing like a house of cards, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) chairperson and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appears to be increasingly relying on the opposition alliance INDIA to help her navigate the current crisis. Her strategy seems clear: despite the party's humiliating electoral setback in West Bengal, she wants to project herself as a leader who continues to command relevance in national politics.
However, if Banerjee believes that a prominent national role alone will help keep her party united, she may be misjudging the situation. Many critics argue that the roots of the current crisis lie within the party itself. Her unwavering support for her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, is widely seen as a major factor behind the growing unrest. The discontent has only deepened because she continues to back him despite the electoral debacle and mounting criticism from senior leaders and grassroots workers.
More than fifty Trinamool Congress MLAs have distanced themselves from the party's mainstream leadership, effectively emerging as a significant bloc within the State Assembly. Similar signs of rebellion are reportedly visible in the party's parliamentary wing. Although the AITC remains one of the largest opposition parties in the Lok Sabha, internal divisions threaten to weaken its standing. Nearly twenty MPs are said to be keeping their distance from the leadership and may snap ties with the party at any time.
Yet Mamata Banerjee continues to stand firmly behind Abhishek, overlooking what many consider the most practical step towards defusing the crisis — temporarily removing him from key leadership responsibilities. Such a move, they argue, would acknowledge the concerns of party workers whose support enabled the Trinamool Congress to remain in power in West Bengal for fifteen consecutive years.
This reluctance is surprising from a leader known for her political instincts and ability to sense public sentiment. Throughout her career, Banerjee has cultivated an image of being closely connected to the grassroots. Yet, in the present situation, she appears unwilling to acknowledge the growing dissatisfaction within her own ranks. Unless she makes a course correction on the Abhishek issue, her efforts to engineer a political comeback may struggle to gain traction.
At the same time, it must also be acknowledged that the initial enthusiasm surrounding the INDIA alliance has largely faded. While its constituent parties often speak of unity in their efforts to challenge the BJP, political realities frequently reveal competing interests and deep divisions. Seat-sharing negotiations have repeatedly exposed these contradictions, with alliance partners often prioritising their own political gains over collective objectives.
Against this backdrop, Banerjee's renewed reliance on INDIA raises important questions. Having previously rejected seat-sharing arrangements with the Congress and the Left, she now finds herself seeking broader opposition support at a time when her party faces serious internal challenges.
Ultimately, no external alliance can resolve problems that originate within a party's own leadership structure. Unless the Trinamool Congress addresses the concerns of its workers and elected representatives and demonstrates a willingness to place organisational interests above perceptions of nepotism, efforts to revive the party's fortunes may continue to fall short.