Abhishek Banerjee Is Now TMC Lok Sabha Leader Amid Mamata Banerjee’s Sharp Rebuke of Party’s Parliamentary Performance

Major Indian Opposition party, Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee has announced that Abhishek Banerjee will take over as the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha until veteran MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay recovers and resumes regular parliamentary duties. 

Kakali Ghosh Dastidar has been appointed Chief Whip, replacing Kalyan Banerjee. The decision was communicated during a virtual meeting of TMC MPs at the party’s new office in New Delhi, where Mamata reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s recent performance and coordination in Parliament. 

Image Source: Abhishek Banerjee on X

Sources confirmed that she was particularly critical of the absenteeism among MPs and lapses in floor strategy.

A senior MP present at the meeting said Mamata was blunt in her remarks and attributed the current lack of direction to the absence of seasoned leaders like Bandyopadhyay and Sougata Roy. 

In their absence, Kalyan Banerjee had been asked to coordinate parliamentary affairs, a task Mamata believes was not handled effectively. 

She also made veiled references to recent controversies involving Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, and Kalyan Banerjee himself. 

The reshuffle, while framed as temporary, is seen as a significant elevation for Abhishek Banerjee within the party's central leadership and comes at a politically sensitive moment.

After the meeting, Kalyan Banerjee told reporters he was not removed but had chosen to step aside. He added that Abhishek Banerjee had personally spoken to him minutes before the announcement. 

In a visibly emotional reaction, Banerjee told mediapersons, “I am not a scholar from Oxford or Cambridge. I do not wear expensive sarees. Those who criticise Mamata Banerjee, they get rewarded. I did maximum work but what will I do if the majority of MPs are absent in Parliament? Does Mamata Banerjee know how the daily work of Parliament is going?”

Party insiders said tensions had been simmering for some time, and the decision to replace Kalyan Banerjee with Kakali Ghosh Dastidar as Chief Whip was not spontaneous. 

I am deeply honoured by the trust reposed in me by our party chairperson Didi @MamataOfficial and my fellow MPs of the All India Trinamool Congress, in choosing me to lead our parliamentary party in the Lok Sabha.

With full commitment and humility, I take on this responsibility… pic.twitter.com/DCdgTocvjO

— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) August 4, 2025

Mamata has been increasingly concerned about the party’s image at the national level, especially within the INDIA bloc, and is said to have been deeply unimpressed with recent parliamentary coordination. 

The move also underscores the growing centrality of Abhishek Banerjee in the TMC's evolving hierarchy.

During the meeting, Mamata Banerjee also instructed all MPs to vocally oppose the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision process and to raise their voices against what she called the increasing harassment of Bengalis in BJP-ruled states. 

She further urged members to participate more actively in INDIA bloc activities and maintain discipline and presence in Parliament sessions.

The reshuffle is being interpreted as both a warning and a course correction, Mamata tightening the reins on a party she believes has strayed too far from her core expectations. 

The reconfiguration of leadership roles is expected to continue as the party prepares for the upcoming electoral season, where coordination and discipline could prove decisive.