TMC suspends three spokespersons for six years over anti-party remarks after poll defeat

The All India Trinamool Congress on Saturday suspended three spokespersons for six years over alleged anti-party remarks made after the party’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. The disciplinary committee took action against Riju Dutta, Kohinoor Majumdar and Kartik Ghosh at a time when the party is facing internal divisions following its reduction to 80 seats in the Assembly.

Earlier, the party had issued show-cause notices to five spokespersons — Riju Dutta, Krishnendu Chowdhury, Kohinoor Majumdar, Papia Ghosh and Kartik Ghosh — asking them to explain within 24 hours why disciplinary action should not be taken against them for alleged indiscipline and anti-party statements. According to party sources, the leadership was dissatisfied with several responses and objected strongly to remarks directed at the party’s top leadership. While Krishnendu Chowdhury and Papia Ghosh have not been suspended so far, uncertainty remains regarding their future within the organisation.

Sources within the party claimed that some of the suspended leaders had submitted a detailed four-and-a-half-page reply letter criticising the party’s electoral strategy and what they described as “corporate style” functioning within the organisation. Following news of the suspensions, dissenting voices within the party reportedly became more vocal. One dissident leader stated that they were prepared to face punishment if raising the concerns of party workers and the people of Bengal was considered an offence.

The internal turmoil intensified after several leaders publicly criticised the party leadership following the election results. Leaders including Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury, Rabindranath Ghosh and Kohinoor Majumdar had openly questioned the leadership style of Abhishek Banerjee and blamed strategic failures for the party’s poor electoral performance. The party later clarified that those remarks represented personal opinions and not the official stand of the organisation.

According to party sources, the disciplinary action followed a meeting with newly elected candidates at Kalighat where Mamata Banerjee publicly praised Abhishek Banerjee and asked party members to show respect to him. Senior leaders including Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Biman Banerjee, Firhad Hakim and Javed Khan were reportedly present during the meeting. Soon afterward, the show-cause notices were issued, eventually leading to the suspension of the three spokespersons after their replies were deemed unsatisfactory by the disciplinary committee led by Derek O’Brien.