In a significant political development, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee held a virtual meeting on Sunday with all party Members of Parliament (MPs) from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Simultaneously, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to meet with 12 BJP MPs from Bengal on Monday during a packed visit to assess the political dynamics of the state and chalk out electoral strategies.
Although the proximity of the two high-level meetings raises questions about whether one is a response to the other, no official statement has confirmed a counter-strategy. However, both parties appear to be in battle-ready mode as the electoral climate intensifies.
During the TMC meeting, Ms Banerjee oversaw a dramatic shake-up within the party’s parliamentary structure. As senior MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay remains unwell and under medical treatment, MPs unanimously entrusted Lok Sabha leadership responsibilities to Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, until Sudip’s recovery.
But what was meant to be a brief 12-minute virtual discussion quickly turned turbulent. The Chief Minister criticized Chief Whip Kalyan Banerjee for inadequate coordination among MPs, prompting him to resign on the spot. He then went public with pointed remarks against fellow TMC lawmakers. “Those whom Mamata Banerjee made MPs don’t even attend Lok Sabha. South Kolkata, Barrackpore, Bankura, North Kolkata… hardly anyone attends Parliament. What can I do? What is my fault?” he asked, visibly agitated.
Sources indicate that the original plan was to remove Kalyan Bandopadhyay, while Sudip Bandopadhyay’s exit was not intended for announcement at this stage. However, the public outburst by Kalyan created a domino effect, culminating in Sudip’s replacement as well. The developments underscore an ongoing realignment within TMC, aimed at consolidating control in Delhi through Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership, especially within the INDIA opposition bloc.
Despite the discord, Abhishek Banerjee extended an olive branch, indicating that he would personally meet Kalyan Banerjee in Delhi later this week, signaling attempts to maintain internal unity. Abhishek is expected to focus on strengthening the party’s national role while keeping Bengal-centric issues in the spotlight. Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, remains the undisputed Chief Ministerial face for the 2026 elections.
Amidst these internal reorganizations, TMC is also gearing up for direct action. Next week, the party, along with other members of the INDIA alliance, plans to gherao the Election Commission office in protest against the implementation of the SIR. Abhishek Banerjee is expected to lead the demonstration on behalf of Trinamool.
The Election Commission has stated its intent to implement the SIR process in states beyond Bihar, a move that has sparked strong opposition from TMC and other opposition parties. Critics, including Mamata Banerjee, allege that the SIR could be used as a covert method to introduce the National Register of Citizens (NRC), effectively disenfranchising sections of the population. The Chief Minister has accused the EC of acting under BJP’s influence, warning that the revision process may unfairly target Bengali-speaking populations under the guise of removing “infiltrators.”
Meanwhile, the BJP has welcomed the SIR initiative, claiming that a large number of undocumented individuals have found their way into the voters’ list with alleged support from the TMC. Amit Shah’s meeting with Bengal BJP MPs is aimed at solidifying the party’s stance and strategizing a response if and when SIR is rolled out in the state. Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya confirmed that the Monday meeting would include discussions on prevailing political issues and electoral preparedness, although he refrained from giving specific details.
The meeting is part of BJP’s broader roadmap for the upcoming Assembly elections, anticipated to be held in March-April 2026. Shah was joined by national general secretary in-charge Sunil Bansal, Bihar minister and Bengal co-in-charge Mangal Pandey, and BJP IT cell head and co-incharge Amit Malviya. All leaders focused on pre-poll planning, candidate selection strategies, and regional coordination.
The ideological clash over SIR has now escalated into a full-blown political face-off between TMC and BJP. While Mamata Banerjee positions herself as a defender of Bengali identity and constitutional rights, the BJP accuses her government of protecting infiltrators for “vote bank politics.” Both sides appear firmly entrenched, with Bengal once again emerging as a flashpoint in national political discourse.
As tensions mount, the role of Abhishek Banerjee will be closely watched—both as a generational shift within TMC and as a critical figure in the INDIA bloc’s strategy against the BJP-led Centre. Whether this internal reorganization and opposition alliance will translate into electoral advantage remains to be seen, but the battle lines are now clearly drawn.
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