Toe the line or step aside: TMC's axe on Kalyan Banerjee sends stern signal to dissenters

Kolkata: In a politically loaded move, the TMC on Tuesday accepted senior MP Kalyan Banerjee's resignation as Lok Sabha Chief Whip and swiftly named his successor, signalling party supremo Mamata Banerjee's resolve to rein in vocal MPs and warn internal dissenters - fall in line or fall out.

In a clear signal that dissent and defiance will not be tolerated, the TMC chief not only accepted Kalyan Banerjee's resignation but also initiated a significant reshuffle, appointing Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as the new Chief Whip and Satabdi Roy as Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha.

The leadership overhaul, which came barely 24 hours after Kalyan stepped down, leaves little doubt that Mamata Banerjee is seeking to restore discipline in her parliamentary ranks with an iron hand.

"It's a message to all those who think they are bigger than the party. There was a need to send out a strong message," a senior TMC leader told PTI.

In a major reshuffle of its parliamentary leadership, the TMC on Monday appointed party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee as its new leader in the Lok Sabha, replacing veteran MP Sudip Bandopadhyay, who has been unwell for months, until he returns to good health.

On Monday, Kalyan publicly questioned the attendance of fellow TMC MPs in Parliament and wondered whether Mamata Banerjee was aware of how the parliamentary party was functioning, after he was blamed for lack of coordination among party MPs.

In the same breath, he resigned from his post, claiming he was "unfairly blamed for poor coordination among MPs.

While tensions between Kalyan and Mahua Moitra had long simmered behind the scenes, the latest escalation began with a series of provocative social media posts by the Sreerampur MP.

Despite the resignation, party insiders indicated there was still scope for reconciliation, with a meeting scheduled between Kalyan and the newly appointed TMC Parliamentary Party Leader Abhishek Banerjee on August 7.

But that prospect quickly evaporated when Kalyan doubled down on his criticism the next morning.

He posted an eight-minute-old video from 2023, showing him defending Mahua in the Lok Sabha during the Ethics Committee proceedings in the "cash-for-query" case.

In the clip, Kalyan is seen questioning why Mahua was suspended without being given a chance to speak, with Moitra nodding in agreement from the adjacent seat.

What caused further dismay in the party high command was the biting caption accompanying the video,"Today she repaid me by calling me a misogynist. I apologise to the nation for ever supporting someone who lacks even basic gratitude.

More eyebrow-raising was the fact that Kalyan tagged not just Mahua and his own party but also the official BJP handle and the Congress.

Party leaders viewed this as crossing the red line.

"It wasn't just defiance, it was near sabotage," a senior TMC leader told PTI. "You don't tag the BJP while attacking your own colleague unless you're making a statement.

According to sources, the episode was merely the culmination of months of discontent. Internal murmurs within the party had long pointed to Kalyan being a polarising figure, especially among TMC's women MPs.

While only Mahua had gone public with accusations of "misogyny" and political sabotage, several women MPs had reportedly complained to the leadership in recent months about Kalyan's tone, behaviour, and language in internal party forums.

Yet the party refrained from acting against him, hoping tensions would de-escalate. But the latest public provocation proved too sharp to ignore.

The Kalyan-Mahua feud, however, is far from new. Earlier this year, outside the Election Commission office, Mahua had publicly asked security personnel to "arrest" Kalyan after a heated verbal exchange.

The senior MP later lashed out at veteran parliamentarian Saugata Roy for siding with Mahua during the fracas.

In the ongoing Monsoon Session, the rift once again played out, with Kalyan opposing Mahua's nomination to speak on the controversial 'Operation Sindoor' issue. The party ultimately chose youth leader Sayoni Ghosh to speak on the matter.

Things reached a tipping point when Mahua, in a media interview, used the metaphor of a "pig", without naming Kalyan, while commenting on political attacks.

Kalyan promptly hit back with a strongly-worded social media post, "Let the public hear the words she has used for a colleague. This is not just an insult; it violates all norms of civil discourse.

With Tuesday's reshuffle, Mamata Banerjee appears to have brought the curtain down on this chapter, at least for now.

The twin appointments of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy, both known to enjoy the confidence of Mamata and Abhishek, mark a carefully calibrated move aimed at restoring both discipline and gender balance within the party's parliamentary team.

"Loyalty matters more than legacy, and internal discipline will not be sacrificed at the altar of seniority or sentiment," another senior TMC functionary said.