Post Defeat, Didi Under Pressure As TMC Faces Internal Turmoil

For the first time in the last 15 years, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and her party face the toughest challenge after BJP’s landslide victory in the 2026 assembly polls. The setback was compounded by Mamata’s defeat in the Bhabanipur constituency, where she lost to former confidant-turned-BJP leader now chief minister Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of more than 13,000 votes. He defeated her in 2021 too from Nandigram constituency. The election outcome has sparked uncertainty over the future direction of the TMC. During the election, the party increasingly shaped by Didi’s nephew — National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee — had attempted to shift from a leadership model centred entirely around her to one driven by organisational performance and accountability. That strategy has failed as witnessed by the defeat of several senior TMC leaders in their home constituencies. Concerns over internal divisions have also intensified after at least 10 legislators reportedly stayed away from a post-election strategy meeting convened by the supremo in Kolkata. Factional tensions within the party have become increasingly visible, with sections of the leadership holding Abhishek and political consultancy firm I-PAC primarily responsible for the electoral debacle. The party is apprehensive about the possibility of heightened central agency scrutiny following the arrest of former minister Sujit Bose. According to sources, Mamata has advised legislators to strengthen their legal preparedness in case of any eventualities. It may be recalled that the ED had questioned Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira in connection with the coal smuggling case. Electorally, the TMC witnessed a dramatic decline in strength, with its Assembly tally dropping from 215 seats in 2021 to 80. In contrast, the BJP surged from 77 seats to 207, securing a vote share of 45.8%, ahead of the TMC’s 40.8%. Within the party, attention is now turning to the 2027 municipal elections and the 2028 panchayat polls.