Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee is at the centre of a fresh political controversy after he reportedly travelled to New Delhi aboard a chartered private jet on Friday, 20 June — a visit meant to contest the legitimacy of a rebel faction within the party before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The optics of luxury air travel have drawn criticism from within the Trinamool Congress itself, compounding the party's deepening internal crisis.

Purpose of the Delhi Visit

Abhishek Banerjee, widely regarded as the Trinamool Congress's de-facto number two, met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to argue against the recognition of a breakaway group of 20 MPs who have claimed to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). He urged the Speaker to disqualify the rebel legislators under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. Accompanying him were Trinamool MPs Mahua Moitra, Kalyan Banerjee, Saugata Roy, and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien.

The Cost of the Charter

According to publicly available information, chartering a private jet between Kolkata and Delhi with an overnight stay typically costs anywhere between ₹30 lakh and over ₹1 crore, depending on the aircraft type. Regional media reports suggest the preferred models for such trips are the Legacy 600 or the Embraer ERJ-135LR, with costs reportedly around ₹80 lakh for approximately nine hours of total flight time. Smaller aircraft, by comparison, average around ₹5 lakh per hour, with additional charges for parking or hangar use. Rebel Trinamool leader Ritabrata Banerjee, who now functions as Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, has alleged that Abhishek Banerjee spent ₹4–5 crore on air travel between Kolkata and Delhi.

Criticism from Within the Party

Trinamool Congress MLA and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said he was unaware of how Abhishek Banerjee travelled to Delhi, but added: 'if he did, and if it was at the party's expenses, then I do not support it.' When asked about Ghosh's remarks during his Delhi visit, Abhishek Banerjee neither denied nor confirmed travelling by chartered aircraft. He said that if complainants submitted their objections in writing, he would travel economy class. On Ghosh's remarks specifically, Abhishek Banerjee declined to respond directly, saying the Beleghata MLA was a colleague and he would refrain from comment.

Wider Context: Party Finances Under Scrutiny

The controversy arrives at a particularly fraught moment for the Trinamool Congress. Following the party's recent Assembly poll setback, a portion of its bank accounts has reportedly been frozen amid complaints of financial irregularities. Rebel Trinamool MP Shatabdi Roy, who has joined the breakaway camp, has also spoken publicly about what she described as Abhishek Banerjee's luxurious lifestyle. Disgruntled senior leaders allege that the years of grassroots struggle led by Mamata Banerjee — which propelled the party to power in West Bengal in the 2011 Assembly election — stand in sharp contrast to the current leadership's style. Ritabrata Banerjee questioned why funds spent on air travel could not instead support party workers who are reportedly mortgaging gold to pay for legal expenses following post-poll violence. Notably, the Trinamool Congress has incurred aerial travel charges of around ₹46 crore since it began contesting elections independently after 2011.

What Comes Next

The Lok Sabha Speaker's office has yet to issue a formal response on the disqualification petition against the rebel MPs. With the Trinamool Congress simultaneously battling a legislative rebellion, financial scrutiny, and internal dissent over leadership conduct, the private jet episode risks becoming a symbol of the party's broader credibility challenge. How the Speaker rules on the Tenth Schedule petition will be a critical next step for the faction's survival in Parliament.