The election results were declared on May 4. Today is May 28. That means nearly twenty-four days have already passed since the results came out, almost a full month.
Yet during this entire period, one after another, Trinamool Congress leaders have publicly revolted against the party leadership. Many have resigned from party posts openly. Interestingly, most of them do not even directly say that they want to join the BJP. Their rebellion is not necessarily ideological migration; it is more a reflection of anger, frustration, and alienation within the party structure itself.
The situation has become so serious that even the BJP's state leadership has publicly stated that, for the next three months, they are not interested in inducting defectors immediately. The BJP leadership has reportedly said that only after things settle down and the distinction between "good Trinamool" and "bad Trinamool" members becomes clearer, will decisions be taken regarding inductions.
At the same time, several councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, former MLAs, and even elected representatives have started openly criticising the Trinamool Congress leadership. The central complaints being raised are becoming increasingly repetitive and consistent. Many leaders allege that the party has become excessively corporatised. Others claim that access to the leadership has become restricted. There are also accusations that Abhishek Banerjee remained politically unavailable during crucial periods. Alongside this, criticism surrounding the growing influence of I-PAC and professional political management structures has intensified.
But beyond all these allegations, the bigger question is this: where is the introspection within the party leadership? In politics, no party wins forever, and no party remains undefeated permanently. Every major political force, after suffering setbacks, usually goes through a phase of internal reflection.
History offers many examples.
When the CPI(M) transitioned from the Jyoti Basu era to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's leadership, serious internal discussions began within the Communist Party as well. Veteran Communist leader Abdullah Rasul, who stayed at the Park Circus party commune, had openly warned the party leadership at the time.
He argued that the party leadership was increasingly slipping into the hands of urban middle-class elites who had gradually become disconnected from workers and peasants, the very social base that once formed the backbone of the Communist movement.
Abdullah Rasul was not alone. Similar concerns started emerging from senior Communist leaders across districts. Eventually, the party was compelled to undertake a phase of introspection. Senior CPI(M) leader Shyamal Chakraborty even initiated a programme called Atmashuddhi, meaning self-purification or self-correction.
The BJP too has experienced moments of introspection.
There was a time when almost everyone believed Atal Bihari Vajpayee would return to power for a second consecutive term. The BJP campaign projected the slogan that Vajpayee represented "magic, not arithmetic". Much of the Indian media also assumed that the NDA would comfortably return to power.
But when Manmohan Singh unexpectedly became Prime Minister, the BJP too began questioning itself internally. It started examining where the disconnect had emerged.
Over time, BJP leaders themselves acknowledged that while the party was growing quantitatively, questions remained about qualitative growth.
The Communist movement had debated something similar long ago. During organisational discussions, debates often emerged around "quantity versus quality". A party could expand numerically while simultaneously becoming hollow internally. The conflict between quantity and quality has emerged from the age of the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.
Within Left circles, there used to be a phrase for such a phenomenon: "anaemic growth". A body may appear swollen externally, but internally it suffers from a lack of blood and strength.
Many political observers now feel a similar situation may be developing inside the Trinamool Congress. Yet what is striking is that the party leadership still appears unwilling to publicly acknowledge any mistakes. Neither Mamata Banerjee nor Abhishek Banerjee has openly admitted that strategic or organisational errors may have contributed to the electoral setback.
Recently, Arup Chakraborty, a Trinamool spokesperson, resigned from a committee chairmanship and openly stated that these internal issues were among the reasons behind the party's poor performance. But if these arguments are accepted today, critics may well ask, "If the same organisational structure existed earlier, then how were the victories of previous elections justified?"
The BJP, naturally, is trying to use this contradiction politically. It argues that the Trinamool Congress has not truly lost politically but has instead suffered from internal decay, marked by corruption, decentralisation of corruption networks, alienation of leadership from the masses, and organisational arrogance.
And despite all this, many leaders claim that meetings continue to be held without seriously addressing these issues. One striking example repeatedly being discussed concerns Jui Biswas, the wife of minister Aroop Biswas's brother, who is herself a councillor. Even individuals from within politically influential families are now openly raising questions.
Yet despite so many complaints surfacing publicly and privately, no genuine institutional process of introspection appears to have been initiated within the Trinamool Congress.
That absence of introspection is perhaps becoming the biggest issue of all.
Political analysts believe this disconnect partly explains the poor performance of the Trinamool Congress across several key regions, particularly in parts of Howrah, Jorasanko, and even several Kolkata seats.
In fact, many observers believe the disappointing results across South Bengal cannot be separated from this growing organisational crisis.
Even Kolkata, once considered a politically secure terrain for the party, has shown signs of dissatisfaction underneath the surface. And increasingly, the criticism is not only coming from opposition parties anymore. It is emerging from within the party's own ranks.
That is what makes the current situation politically significant. Because rebellions can sometimes be controlled. Defections can sometimes be managed. But when a political party stops listening to voices within itself, the crisis becomes much deeper than an electoral setback.
At the moment, many within the Trinamool Congress are quietly asking one uncomfortable question: Why is there still no visible sign of introspection from Mamata Banerjee or Abhishek Banerjee despite growing unrest within the party itself?
(The author is Contributing Editor, NDTV)
