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Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress Collapses in Wake of Election Defeat

After 15 years of dominance, the party is fracturing as legislators and MPs abandon the sinking ship to align with the BJP.

PoliticsPublished June 8, 2026 at 10:44 PMProcessed June 9, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Supporters of the All India Trinamool Congress party attend a rally of Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee ahead of the second phase of the legislative assembly elections in Kolkata on April 27, 2026. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP via Getty Images)

The Trinamool Congress (TMC), once a political juggernaut in West Bengal, is facing an existential collapse just weeks after losing its 15-year grip on power. The party, founded by Mamata Banerjee, is currently being hollowed out by a massive rebellion from within its own ranks.

Approximately three-quarters of the party’s state legislators have revolted against Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek, while a significant majority of the party's MPs are reportedly seeking to break away to align with the BJP-led ruling alliance.

This disintegration highlights the fundamental weakness of a party built entirely on personality and patronage rather than a cohesive political ideology.

Without the levers of state power to distribute favors, the local strongmen who once propped up Banerjee are now scrambling to secure their own futures, leaving party offices deserted and organizational networks in shambles.

As investigations into corruption mount and the party’s brand value plummets, the once-formidable TMC appears to be paying the price for a leadership style that prioritized family succession and cronyism over institutional stability.

While Banerjee remains defiant, labeling the BJP’s victory as illegitimate, the reality on the ground is clear: the patronage machine has run out of fuel, and the political establishment she built is rapidly dissolving.

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