The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is grappling with a survival crisis as it shifts its Delhi operations from the residence of rebel MP Partha Bhowmick to its earlier address on South Avenue, while early-morning police searches at national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat residence in Kolkata have sparked sharp reactions from the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
Police Searches at Abhishek Banerjee's Home
On Saturday, June 13, police arrived at Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat residence at 3 AM. By 5 AM, a Disaster Management team was called in to break open locks, and searches began from the second floor to the terrace, lasting 90 minutes. The seizure report stated nil—no evidence, no wrongdoing, nothing. Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose alleged on X: "Just political vendetta, intimidation and mental torture. Operation Lotus is targeting every leader who refuses to surrender to the BJP’s diktat."
Delhi Office Shift
TMC had been running its Delhi office from Partha Bhowmick's bungalow at 20, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road since last year. However, about a week ago, the party moved to 61 South Avenue—the residence of MP Mohammed Nadimul Haque—after learning that Bhowmick was among the dissidents. The party had earlier operated from Nadimul Haque's residence and has now returned there.
Bhowmick had placed a request for new accommodation and was allotted a flat earlier this week in Hooghly block, a type VII accommodation in multi-storied apartments for MPs on Bishambar Das Marg.
Mamata Camp Steps Up Attack
Ahead of the rebel MPs' meeting with the Speaker on Monday to seek recognition as the "real TMC," the Mamata camp intensified its offensive. TMC national spokesperson Saket Gokhale claimed that "the split attempt is dead. The 91st amendment deleted it. Forming a 'separate group' has zero protection under law."
He added: "A 'merger' needs the whole party to merge and not just the legislative party. They can merge only if the entire TMC merged with BJP—not happening in our lifetimes. Therefore, forget 20 MPs or two-thirds. Even if they had 25 out of 28 signatures, they can't 'merge' with BJP."
