Mamata Banerjee Faces Biggest Political Test as TMC Splits Into Three Factions in Just 3 Months

Kolkata: A major political storm is brewing within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), with Mamata Banerjee facing an unprecedented challenge as the party appears to be divided into three competing power centres within just three months of losing power in West Bengal. The crisis is no longer limited to an electoral setback, but has evolved into a battle over the party’s organisation, leadership, legislators, political identity and future direction.

One faction remains aligned with Mamata Banerjee, while a rebel camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee has emerged as a parallel centre of power, and a third group involving 20 of TMC’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs has reportedly joined a new political formation and extended support to the NDA.

The developments have significantly weakened TMC’s parliamentary strength and triggered a larger struggle over who controls the party organisation and its political legacy. The rebel camp claims that the original ideological character of TMC has been diluted and argues that its effort is aimed at rebuilding the organisation through a more democratic structure, while the Mamata camp has dismissed the parallel leadership as unconstitutional.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh has strongly rejected the rebel activities and claimed that several rebel MPs and disgruntled MLAs remain in contact with Mamata and may want to return. Meanwhile, the growing influence of Abhishek Banerjee has reportedly become another point of friction within the party, with sections of the leadership expressing dissatisfaction over the concentration of power.

The split has also created a major opportunity for the BJP, which could attempt to expand its grassroots presence if TMC’s district-level organisation continues to weaken. However, Mamata has faced political battles before and has previously rebuilt her political strength from the Opposition, most notably when she ended the Left Front’s 34-year rule in 2011.

Now, after 15 years in power, she must once again prove her ability to rebuild a political organisation without the advantages of government machinery. The biggest question is whether Mamata can reunite a fragmented TMC and reclaim its lost political strength or whether the current three-way split will permanently reshape West Bengal’s opposition politics.