‘Party Taken Over By Corrupt People’: TMC Leaders Differ With Mamata On West Bengal Poll Outcome

Jawhar Sircar has said that the party has been “taken over by corrupt people” and that internal issues, rather than only external factors, contributed to the electoral loss.

Former TMC Rajya Sabha MP and retired IAS officer Jawhar Sircar. (PTI file photo)

Internal dissent has surfaced within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after its heavy defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, with some senior leaders openly questioning the party’s internal functioning and leadership decisions.

Former TMC Rajya Sabha MP and retired IAS officer Jawhar Sircar has said that the party has been “taken over by corrupt people” and that internal issues, rather than only external factors, contributed to the electoral loss.

In an interview with news agency PTI, Sircar referred to his “viral” resignation letter, which he had submitted after stepping down as a Rajya Sabha MP last September over the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, as well as allegations of corruption linked to the institution.

“My resignation letter went viral. I listed corruption, dadagiri, Mamata said it is propaganda; some nefarious party leaders, one is a quiz master, who has done nothing holds undue power,” he said, suggesting deep divisions within the party structure.

TMC Issues Clarification

Shortly after Sircar’s comments were widely reported, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) issued a clarification without naming any leader.

In its official statement, the party said it had come to its attention that certain leaders had expressed views in the media which were being projected as the party’s official position.

“We wish to clarify that any such statements made in the media or shared on social media platforms represent the personal views of the individuals concerned. It should not be interpreted as the official stance unless officially communicated through authorised channels of the Party,” TMC clarified.

Additionally, Sircar also made broader political observations about the rise of the BJP in the state, arguing that early alliances and political shifts helped the BJP build its presence in West Bengal over time.

“Mamata Banerjee has, in a way, been a boost for the BJP in West Bengal. When she formed her party in the late 1990s, the BJP had no presence in the state. It was through her alliance that the BJP first gained a foothold and began winning seats,” Sircar said.

“After coming to power in 2011, she focused on weakening other opposition parties, including the Congress and the Left. Many leaders from these parties either joined her or moved to the BJP for protection and political space. Over time, the BJP came to be seen as a kind of ‘life insurance policy’ for those opposing her,” he added.

The comments come in the backdrop of a decisive election result in which the BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member assembly, ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress, which secured only 80 seats.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, however, has dismissed the outcome as “engineered” and asserted that her party was fighting the Election Commission rather than the BJP.

(With inputs from agencies)

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