After the revolt, can Mamata rebuild TMC from the ground up?

Things got more complicated for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday, with 20 rebel Lok Sabha MPs choosing to support the NDA rather than quit supremo Mamata Banerjee's party. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar will continue as the chief whip of this faction. While the Mamata-led leadership has removed Dastidar from the position and replaced her with Kalyan Banerjee, Ghosh Dastidar technically remains the chief whip in the Lok Sabha.

All this unfolded while Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee and other MPs attended the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi. Despite Mamata's presence at the meeting, the focus remained on the infighting within her party and the apparent disharmony that signals a rift not only in the Assembly but also in Parliament. The growing resentment among rebel leaders over Abhishek Banerjee's influence in the party, alongside Mamata, is seen as one of the key reasons behind the split.

The Mamata faction, however, continues to back Abhishek's leadership. The question now is whether the faction will be able to remain relevant and continue as a formidable political force ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

"Now she (Mamata) will get three years to build her party once again, and her nephew as well. Three years is a long time in politics. Because they are in dialogue with the old Congress and this is the old Trinamool. Most of them are new Trinamool leaders. Mamata's very close associates are with her," said Professor Maidul Islam, a political scientist at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences.

Prof. Islam believes that events are changing rapidly and that it remains to be seen whether Mamata can rebuild her party, which he says is effectively starting from scratch.

Meanwhile, in Kolkata, Mamata's close aide and former mayor Firhad Hakim met rebel MLA Sandipan Saha in the West Bengal Assembly and held a one-hour meeting. Another MLA was also present.

"I think the number will increase. Many have expressed a desire to be with us," said Ritabrata Banerjee, the current Leader of the Opposition, earlier in the day.

Hakim resigned as mayor last week, citing his inability to continue after the BJP's victory in the state. However, it remains unclear whether Mamata's close aide will consider switching to the rebel camp, which claims to be the "real" TMC. Hakim, a four-time MLA, did not comment while leaving the Assembly after the meeting.

The former mayor had also attended an administrative meeting at Nabanna, the state secretariat, last week. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. His attendance at the meeting, before stepping down as mayor, also raised questions about his political positioning and loyalties.

The battle for political relevance appears to have begun to outweigh long-standing loyalties. Mamata's waning popularity has reduced her from a leader who was once a formidable force in West Bengal politics to someone fighting to retain her grip over a divided party. The Mamata-Abhishek combine, representing a fusion of the old and new guard, has contributed to the TMC's split. Yet, for Mamata, her nephew remains central to the party's future despite growing dissent against his leadership.

Abhishek, meanwhile, finds himself under pressure after officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) visited his Kalighat residence on Monday in connection with the Assembly signature forgery case. The controversy relates to a resolution signed by 70 MLAs supporting Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay's appointment as Leader of the Opposition. Abhishek's signature appears at the bottom of the document, and 14 of the signatures are alleged to have been forged.

Abhishek was given seven days to appear before the CID, with the deadline falling on Monday. However, he was attending the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi.

The challenges continue to mount, but the Mamata-Abhishek faction remains determined not to buckle under pressure.