Trinamool MLAs sit on dharna at Assembly, but 50 members remain absent

The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday organised a dharna at the West Bengal Assembly premises protesting post-poll violence and hawker eviction drives, but the absence of around 50 party MLAs from the programme triggered fresh discussion over internal divisions within the party. Leaders including Kunal Ghosh and Ritabrata Banerjee participated in the protest held near the Ambedkar statue inside the Assembly complex.

The protest came days after discussions within the party regarding the lack of visible political mobilisation following the Trinamool Congress’ defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections. Sources said several meetings had recently been held at Kalighat in the presence of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, but concerns were raised by party legislators over the leadership’s limited participation in public protests and grassroots political activities after the election results.

According to sources, during Tuesday’s meeting at Kalighat, several MLAs expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that the party could not rebuild itself through closed-door meetings alone and needed to reconnect with workers and the public through street-level movements. Sources further said discussions at the meeting became heated over multiple issues, including demands for action against Jahangir Khan and questions regarding Abhishek Banerjee’s absence from protest programmes. Leaders Sandipan Saha and Ritabrata Banerjee reportedly demanded Jahangir Khan’s expulsion from the party, although no official decision has been announced.

Senior party leaders are understood to believe that the Trinamool Congress must return to grassroots political activities after moving into the opposition following 15 years in power. Sources said some MLAs have openly criticised the party’s functioning after the electoral defeat, while others have gradually distanced themselves from organisational activities. The absence of a large number of MLAs from Wednesday’s protest programme drew attention within political circles as the party attempted to launch its first major agitation after losing power in the state.