TMC drops two rebel MPs from key posts as Bengal dissent deepens
Synopsis
TMC's rebellion is no longer just whispers — two sitting Lok Sabha MPs have been stripped of organisational posts after being spotted heading to a BJP Union Minister's residence in Delhi. With veteran leader Manas Ranjan Bhunia also resigning, the cracks in Mamata Banerjee's party are now unmistakably public.
Key Takeaways
Sudip Bandopadhyay , four-time TMC MP from Kolkata (Uttar) , removed as constituency party president on 13 June .
Sayoni Ghosh , TMC MP from Jadavpur , dropped as president of the Trinamool youth wing .
Both were identified as rebel MPs; Bandopadhyay and Satabdi Roy were reportedly seen visiting BJP Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav 's Delhi residence.
Loyalists Kunal Ghosh and Arnab Mukherjee named as replacements.
Veteran TMC leader and former minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia formally resigned from the party's primary membership.
All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has removed two sitting Lok Sabha members from key organisational posts amid a sharpening rebellion within its parliamentary party, signalling that party leadership is moving decisively against dissenters. The action, taken on 13 June in Kolkata, follows reports of rebel MPs making contact with rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership in New Delhi.
Key Developments
The most consequential removal was that of Sudip Bandopadhyay, a four-time TMC Lok Sabha member representing the Kolkata (Uttar) constituency, who was stripped of his role as party president for the Kolkata (Uttar) Assembly constituency. The decision came within hours of reports surfacing that Bandopadhyay had been seen travelling with fellow rebel MP Satabdi Roy in Delhi on Saturday, reportedly heading to the residence of BJP leader and Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav.
In a parallel move, first-time TMC Lok Sabha member from Jadavpur constituency in South 24 Parganas district, actress-turned-politician Sayoni Ghosh, was dropped from her position as president of the Trinamool youth wing. She had also been identified as part of the rebel camp.
Who Replaces Them
Scribe-turned-politician and party legislator Kunal Ghosh has been appointed in place of Bandopadhyay. Ghosh is widely regarded as among the loyalists who have maintained their allegiance to former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Arnab Mukherjee has been named to replace Sayoni Ghosh as youth wing president.
Veteran Leader Quits the Party
Compounding the turmoil, veteran TMC leader and former West Bengal minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia announced on Saturday that he was leaving the party. Bhunia, who was defeated from his native Sabang Assembly constituency in West Midnapore district in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly polls, cited an inability to work within the current party environment.
'In the current situation, there is no opportunity to work for the Trinamool Congress. So, I have decided to leave the party. However, politics and social service are an integral part of my life. Therefore, I will not stay away from politics. I will inform everyone in the coming days about what decision I will take,' Bhunia said.
In a formal letter addressed to Mamata Banerjee, Bhunia wrote: 'I hereby resign from the primary membership of Trinamool. Please accept my resignation.'
What This Signals for TMC
The simultaneous removal of two MPs from organisational posts and the resignation of a veteran minister represent one of the most visible stress tests for TMC's internal cohesion in recent memory. Notably, the trigger — rebel MPs reportedly approaching a senior BJP Union Minister — suggests the dissent has moved beyond internal grievance and into potential cross-party alignment. This comes amid broader questions about the TMC's post-election consolidation and the authority of the Abhishek Banerjee-led organisational structure. The party's response — swift replacements with known loyalists — indicates that leadership is prioritising discipline over reconciliation at this stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did TMC remove Sudip Bandopadhyay from his organisational post?
Bandopadhyay was removed as TMC's constituency president for Kolkata (Uttar) after he was reportedly seen travelling with rebel MP Satabdi Roy to the Delhi residence of BJP Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav. The party acted within hours of this information surfacing, replacing him with loyalist Kunal Ghosh.
Who is Sayoni Ghosh and why was she dropped?
Sayoni Ghosh is a first-time TMC Lok Sabha member from the Jadavpur constituency in South 24 Parganas and an actress-turned-politician. She was removed as president of the Trinamool youth wing after being identified as part of the rebel faction within the party's parliamentary group.
Who is Manas Ranjan Bhunia and why did he resign?
Manas Ranjan Bhunia is a veteran TMC leader and former West Bengal minister who was defeated from the Sabang Assembly constituency in West Midnapore in the recent state polls. He cited an inability to work within the current party environment, formally writing to Mamata Banerjee to resign his primary membership.
Who replaced the removed TMC leaders?
Kunal Ghosh, a scribe-turned-politician and party legislator known as a loyalist to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, replaced Sudip Bandopadhyay. Arnab Mukherjee was named to replace Sayoni Ghosh as Trinamool youth wing president.
What does this rebellion mean for TMC's stability?
The simultaneous removal of two MPs and the resignation of a veteran leader represent a significant internal stress test for TMC. The reported contact between rebel MPs and senior BJP leadership suggests the dissent may be moving beyond internal grievance, raising questions about the party's cohesion ahead of future electoral contests.
