Falta re-poll: TMC legislators demand Jahangir Khan's expulsion at Mamata meet
Synopsis
A Trinamool Congress internal meeting chaired by Mamata Banerjee turned volatile on 19 May when three party legislators publicly demanded the expulsion of Falta candidate Jahangir Khan — who had just withdrawn from the re-poll and thanked rival Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. With 15 of 80 legislators skipping the meeting, the episode signals a fractured post-defeat TMC.
Key Takeaways
Jahangir Khan , TMC candidate for Falta , announced withdrawal from the 21 May re-poll and thanked new CM Suvendu Adhikari at a press conference on 19 May .
Demands for Khan's immediate expulsion were raised by legislators Kunal Ghosh , Sandipan Saha , and Ritabrata Banerjee at an internal TMC meeting chaired by Mamata Banerjee .
The TMC stated Khan's withdrawal was his personal decision, not a party directive.
15 of 80 newly elected TMC legislators were absent from the meeting — a development observers read as a sign of discontent.
Political observers describe this as the first formal surfacing of legislator grievances against the TMC top leadership after the party's landslide defeat in the West Bengal Assembly polls.
Demands for the immediate expulsion of Jahangir Khan, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate for the Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal, erupted at an internal meeting of newly elected party legislators in Kolkata on Tuesday, 19 May, chaired by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The flashpoint was Khan's earlier press conference the same day, in which he announced his unilateral withdrawal from the Falta re-poll scheduled for Thursday, 21 May.
What Triggered the Outburst
At his press conference, Khan not only announced his withdrawal from the re-polling contest but also publicly thanked new Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for announcing a special development package for Falta — a gesture that party insiders found deeply objectionable. Khan did not clarify whether the decision to withdraw was made on the direction of Abhishek Banerjee, the party's general secretary and Lok Sabha member who was also present at Tuesday's internal meeting, or any other senior TMC leadership. The party, however, categorically stated that the withdrawal was Khan's personal decision and not a party directive.
Who Raised the Demand and What Was Said
According to insiders present at the meeting, the demand for Khan's immediate expulsion was primarily raised by three TMC legislators: Kunal Ghosh from the Beliaghata Assembly constituency in North Kolkata, Sandipan Saha from the Entally Assembly constituency, also in North Kolkata, and Ritabrata Banerjee from the Uluberia (Purba) constituency in Howrah district. These three legislators reportedly also pushed for a more open internal environment within the party, citing grievances over how the TMC leadership has been functioning and calling for freer discussion of internal issues.
Cracks in the Ranks
The internal meeting, which all 80 newly elected TMC legislators were asked to attend, saw 15 members remain absent — a detail that political observers say is itself a signal of discontent. The TMC ended the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly polls with a tally of just 80 seats, a result widely described as a landslide defeat. Since the election results, several senior party leaders have begun openly criticising the top leadership for the electoral setback. The surfacing of grievances among elected legislators, political observers note, marks a new and more consequential phase of that internal reckoning.
What This Means for the Party
Analysts watching the TMC's internal dynamics describe Tuesday's meeting as the first formal occasion on which the brewing resentment among legislators has been voiced in front of the party's top brass. The Falta episode has effectively become a proxy for wider frustrations — over candidate selection, the party's chain of command, and accountability after a historic electoral loss. Whether the leadership responds with punitive action against Khan or attempts a conciliatory reset with disgruntled legislators will be closely watched in the days ahead.
Point of View
Not the cause. Jahangir Khan's public gratitude to Suvendu Adhikari — the very man who led the BJP to power over TMC — is extraordinary, and the party's 'personal decision' defence strains credibility. More telling is the walkout by 15 legislators: in a party that has historically enforced iron discipline, absenteeism at a Mamata-chaired meeting is a loud signal. The TMC's post-defeat crisis is no longer confined to senior leaders venting to the press — it has reached the legislature party itself, which is a structurally different and harder-to-contain problem.
NationPress
5 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Jahangir Khan facing expulsion from the Trinamool Congress?
Jahangir Khan is facing expulsion demands from TMC legislators because he unilaterally withdrew his candidacy from the Falta Assembly re-poll on 21 May and publicly thanked Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari — a leader from the rival BJP — for announcing a development package for the constituency. Party insiders viewed both moves as a betrayal of the party's position.
What is the Falta Assembly re-poll and when is it scheduled?
The Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal is going for re-polling on 21 May 2025. The re-poll was necessitated following the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, in which the TMC fielded Jahangir Khan as its candidate.
Who chaired the TMC internal meeting on 19 May 2025?
The internal meeting of newly elected Trinamool Congress legislators was chaired by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the afternoon of 19 May 2025. Party general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee was also present at the meeting.
Which TMC legislators demanded Jahangir Khan's expulsion?
The demand was primarily raised by three TMC legislators: Kunal Ghosh (Beliaghata), Sandipan Saha (Entally), and Ritabrata Banerjee (Uluberia Purba). They also called for a more open internal atmosphere within the party to air legislator grievances.
What does the absenteeism at the TMC meeting indicate?
Fifteen of the 80 newly elected TMC legislators were absent from the Mamata Banerjee-chaired meeting, despite being asked to attend. Political observers say this is an early indicator of deeper discontent within the legislature party following the TMC's landslide defeat in the West Bengal Assembly polls.
