Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member and physician Dr Santanu Sen has publicly congratulated the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal and its Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, in a social media post on Saturday night that has once again unsettled the Trinamool leadership. The post, framed around Sen's role in the medical fraternity, marks the latest flashpoint in his increasingly strained relationship with his former party.

What Santanu Sen Said

In his post, Sen wrote: 'As a long-time soldier of the medical movement, as the All India President of the Indian Medical Association and the current State Secretary of the Indian Medical Association Bengal State Branch, I express my sincere thanks, congratulations and gratitude to the newly elected BJP government of Bengal and its Honourable Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for undertaking several development and public welfare projects in the health sector of the state.'

The statement was careful to ground itself in his professional identity rather than any political affiliation — a distinction that Trinamool has since seized upon to limit the fallout.

The RG Kar Fault Line

Sen's break with Trinamool traces back to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case, which triggered a prolonged public movement demanding justice for the victim. Sen had openly supported the 'Reclaim the Night' protests and alleged corruption within the hospital administration. His wife was also seen standing alongside agitating junior doctors. The backlash within Trinamool was swift: he lost his position as party spokesperson and was subsequently suspended by the Trinamool Disciplinary Committee on charges of anti-party activities.

The Suspension, the Reinstatement, and What Followed

Despite the suspension, Sen remained active within Trinamool's orbit. He reportedly played a key organisational role in the 'Sebashray' health outreach programme in Diamond Harbour — a constituency closely associated with Abhishek Banerjee, with whom Sen is said to share a close relationship. He later performed a similar role in Nandigram. As the 2026 Assembly election campaign intensified, Trinamool lifted his suspension and restored his spokesperson role. His latest post, however, has reignited questions about where his loyalties ultimately lie.

Trinamool's Measured Response

Trinamool spokesperson Arup Chakraborty sought to contain the controversy, saying: 'The post that Santanu Sen made on Facebook was not made as a former Trinamool MP or a spokesperson for the party. He did it as an IMA office-bearer. He can do it.' The response signals that Trinamool is, for now, choosing not to escalate — but political observers note that the party's unease is palpable.

The Bigger Picture

The BJP has formed the government in West Bengal for the first time, having won 207 seats in the Assembly elections. Sen's congratulatory post, analysts suggest, may be a calculated signal — leveraging his IMA credentials to maintain access across the new political order while keeping a formal distance from outright defection. This is not the first time a figure within Trinamool's extended ecosystem has tested the party's boundaries after the change of guard in the state.