Mamata Banerjee Faces Fresh Setback As Bengal TMC Chief Chandrima Bhattacharya Resigns

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suffered another political setback on Saturday after the party's West Bengal unit president, Chandrima Bhattacharya, resigned from all party posts, deepening the organisational crisis within the ruling party following its Assembly election defeat earlier this year.

Bhattacharya, considered one of Banerjee's close aides, submitted her resignation amid growing turmoil in the party, which has witnessed an exodus of senior leaders and an escalating internal power struggle in recent weeks.

Her resignation comes just months after she was appointed president of the TMC's West Bengal unit as part of a major organisational overhaul initiated by Banerjee following the party's poor performance in the State Assembly elections held in May. After the electoral setback, Banerjee dissolved all existing party committees and announced a restructuring exercise aimed at reviving the organisation and strengthening its grassroots network.

However, the reorganisation has failed to stem internal dissent.

According to PTI, the crisis within the Trinamool Congress has intensified with an increasing number of leaders expressing dissatisfaction over the party's functioning. The resignation of the state unit chief is being viewed as another indication of the widening cracks within the organisation at a time when the party is attempting to regroup after its electoral losses.

The political turmoil has been compounded by the emergence of rival factions within the TMC. The party is now effectively split between a camp led by Mamata Banerjee and another headed by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee in the West Bengal Assembly, reflecting the deepening divisions within the state's ruling party.

Adding to the setback, reports indicate that 20 of the TMC's 28 Lok Sabha MPs have joined the relatively unknown National Citizens' Party of India (NCPI), which has announced its support for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre. The development significantly alters the party's parliamentary strength and marks one of the biggest organisational crises faced by the Trinamool Congress since it came to power in West Bengal in 2011.

While neither Bhattacharya nor the Trinamool Congress immediately issued a detailed statement explaining the reasons behind her resignation, party insiders suggested that continuing organisational differences and the rapidly changing political landscape may have contributed to the decision.

Political observers believe the resignation is likely to increase pressure on Banerjee's leadership as the party prepares for future electoral battles. The developments also provide fresh ammunition to the BJP, which has repeatedly alleged internal instability within the Trinamool Congress.

The TMC leadership is expected to announce an interim organisational arrangement in the coming days as it attempts to contain the political fallout. Whether the latest resignation proves to be an isolated development or triggers further departures from the party will be closely watched in the coming weeks.

The resignation marks yet another challenging moment for Mamata Banerjee, who now faces the task of rebuilding party unity while confronting an emboldened Opposition and an increasingly fragmented organisational structure.