How Factionalism and Distrust Eroded TMC Fortress

May 7, 2026

For nearly half a century,
political rulers in
West Bengal defied,
challenged and even
ridiculed those at the
Centre while fiercely defending
their fortress — much like the tiny
Gaulish village imagined by Rene
Goscinny and Albert Uderzo in the
popular Asterix-Obelix series.
As depicted in the immensely
popular comic books, the
inhabitants often fought among
themselves, but united whenever
confronted by those they branded
as “outsiders”.
Unlike the fictional Gaulish
village, however, internal conflicts
gradually weakened the shield
bearers in West Bengal in their
own ways, leading to the erosion
of support for their own Chief
Vitalstatistix. And eventually, the
heavens truly fell — the very fear
that constantly haunted the Chief.
First, it was the Left Front.
Then came the Trinamool
Congress government.
This time, the last major eastern
bastion too appeared dented, with
a surge of silent voices emerging
from among those suffering amid
factional feuds and administrative
drift. They sought change.
Sensing the shield slipping from
beneath his feet, Chief Vitalstatistix
would perhaps have realised too
late the importance of the magic
potion prepared by Getafix, the
village druid.
For West Bengal, that “druid”
was Mukul Roy, who silently
managed the organisation,
especially during elections, while
Trinamool Congress supremo
Mamata Banerjee led the party
from the front.
The subsequent rise of Mamata
Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek
Banerjee, within the organisation,
coupled with his no-compromise
style and growing dependence on
outside consultants, reportedly
left leaders such as Mukul Roy,
Saumitra Khan and Suvendu
Adhikari feeling increasingly
alienated.
The Nandigram movement,
which helped Mamata Banerjee
dethrone the Left Front
government in 2011, was largely
planned, coordinated and
spearheaded on the ground by
Suvendu Adhikari.
He steadily rose through the
party ranks but was later believed
to have felt sidelined.
Suvendu Adhikari shot into
national prominence soon after
joining the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), particularly after defeating
his former political mentor in 2021,
when Mamata Banerjee chose
to contest against him from the
Nandigram Assembly constituency.
His stature rose further this
time when he not only retained
Nandigram but also successfully
defeated the Trinamool Congress
supremo in her own stronghold of
Bhabanipur.
Like Suvendu Adhikari,
Saumitra Khan too shifted to
the BJP, claiming he felt slighted
within the Trinamool Congress and
criticising the party over what he
described as its lack of direction.
He alleged that the party was
increasingly being run by Abhishek
Banerjee and said he felt neglected
despite his contributions to the
organisation.
Perhaps the biggest blow was
the exit of Mukul Roy, whose
name is said to have figured in
the documents submitted by
the Trinamool Congress while
registering itself with the Election
Commission as a political party in
1997-98.
Insiders claimed that he too
was unhappy with the younger
Banerjee’s growing influence
within the party.
The former Railway Minister
passed away early last year while
suffering from multiple ailments,
including Parkinson’s disease.
Mukul Roy was known for his
efficient election management
skills and had long been regarded
as one of Mamata Banerjee’s
closest confidants, often seen as
the party’s second-in-command.
He was also reportedly involved
in strategising the BJP’s political
expansion in West Bengal after
joining the saffron camp.
However, both Mukul Roy and
Suvendu Adhikari were believed to
have faced the party’s wrath after
being named in connection with
the Narada sting operation.
Yet, several others who had
also featured in the sting tapes
continued to remain within the
party leadership.
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee’s
grip over both the organisation
and administration appeared
to weaken steadily, with several
party leaders clashing publicly
even as allegations of corruption
and incidents of crime in the
state continued to rise. By then,
two parallel centres of power had
emerged within the party, at least
in public perception.