With West Bengal heading into elections next year, a reshuffle in the state’s top leadership has intensified discussions around political dynamics.
The Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) chief whip, Kalyan Banerjee, resigned earlier this week — a resignation swiftly accepted by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The move is seen as a strong message aimed at reasserting control within a party showing signs of internal drift, underscoring that no individual stands above the party itself.
The CM’s oldest party colleague, Kalyan, was promptly replaced by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as chief whip. Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, took over as the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha.
Kalyan thanked Mamata for accepting his resignation, however, not without a jibe. His departure has come under pressure from multiple fronts; a war of words with Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra and allegations of failing to coordinate amongst MPs in Lok Sabha.
While speaking to reporters, Kalyan gave a detailed statement, “She [Mamata] feels there is a lack of coordination in Lok Sabha, that’s why I resigned. But is she aware of the situation? Most party MPs never even show up. And it is supposed to be my fault? Sudip [Bandopadhyay] never comes. Kakoli [Ghosh Dastidar] drops by occasionally. Can you believe that the South Kolkata MP is always absent? Only around 11 of our 29 MPs attend the House.”
The Controversy With Moitra
He also mentioned Moitra, with discontent between the two regularly spilling in the public sphere. Tensions came to a head on April 4 when a TMC delegation visited the Election Commission to file a complaint over alleged voter ID duplications in West Bengal. During the visit, a heated exchange reportedly erupted between Kalyan and Moitra, allegedly triggered by the omission of her name from the memorandum being submitted.
What followed was purported WhatsApp chat screenshots, where Kalyan apparently called Moitra “versatile international lady", declaring, "not a single boyfriend stood with her".
Amit Malviya—the national convener of the IT cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)— shared screenshots of heated exchanges from the Trinamool Congress’ official WhatsApp group on X.
In the texts, Kalyan allegedly said: “Today I congratulate the gentleman who opened the beautiful activities of versatile international lady. That day not a single boyfriend of her stood behind her. This foolish man whom she wanted to arrested by bsf, stood behind her. Today of course 30 years famous player stood behind her to get me arrested [sic].”
The controversy thickened when Kalyan commented on the Kolkata law student’s rape, inviting criticism from Moitra and Opposition alike.
“If a friend rapes another friend, then how will the government authorities provide protection in such cases? Do you want to deploy police in educational institutions? Police cannot be in every corner,” Kalyan said.
What did Moitra Say?
Moitra hit back, stating that “misogynist” elements exist in every party, but what sets Trinamool apart is that its leader, Mamata, holds her own members accountable for such remarks — as reflected in the party’s decision to distance itself from Kalyan’s statement.
Soon after that, Kalyan commented on Moitra’s personal life after her marriage with former Biju Janata Dal MP Pinaki Misra, saying that Moitra came back to India after her honeymoon and started fighting with him, “she is saying I am anti-women. What is she? She has broken up a family of 40 years and married a 65-year-old guy. Did she not harm the lady? The women of the country will decide whether she broke up the family.”
He continued to say, an MP who was expelled from parliament for breach of ethics is telling him about philosophy. “She is the most anti-woman. She knows only to secure her future and make money,” he went on to say.
Moitra, during a recent podcast with a media outlet, lashed out at Kalyan, calling him a "pig" in response to his remarks accusing her of being "anti-woman" and of "breaking a family."
She said: "You don't wrestle with a pig. Because the pig likes it and you get dirty. There are deeply misogynistic, sexually frustrated, depraved men in India and they have their representation in parliament across all parties."
Kalyan’s Reaction
Ahead of his resignation, Kalyan posted a long statement, taking note of Moitra’s comment, stating that he has taken note of the recent personal remarks made by Moitra in a public podcast.
“Her choice of words, including the use of dehumanising language such as comparing a fellow MP to a “pig”, is not only unfortunate but reflects a deep disregard for basic norms of civil discourse.”
He added that those who believe that insults can substitute for meaningful discourse should seriously reflect on the kind of politics they are engaging in — and the emptiness it reveals. When an elected representative resorts to name-calling and crude insinuations, it signals not confidence, but insecurity.
He said his remarks addressed issues of public accountability and personal conduct — matters that every public figure, regardless of gender, should be willing to confront. If those truths are inconvenient or unsettling, that doesn’t give anyone the right to dismiss legitimate criticism as “misogyny” in an attempt to deflect scrutiny.
“Labeling a male colleague as ‘sexually frustrated’ isn’t boldness — it’s outright abuse. If such language were directed at a woman, there would be nationwide outrage, and rightly so. But when a man is the target, it’s dismissed or even applauded. Let’s be clear: abuse is abuse — regardless of gender,” he added.
On August 5, he posted an old video of the parliament, captioning it, “In 2023, I stood by Ms. Moitra when she was under fire in Parliament — I did so out of conviction, not compulsion. Today, she repays that support by calling me a misogynist. I owe the nation an apology for having defended someone who clearly lacks basic gratitude. Let people see her words for what they are and judge accordingly.”
The resignation that has come when the state is months away from polls. The TMC is looking for a stable and effective leadership in Parliament, especially as the Opposition attempts to regroup and present a united front against the BJP on the issue of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
