NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee is confronted with a serious internal challenge, as the party reels from the fallout of leaked videos and WhatsApp chats revealing an intense altercation between senior Members of Parliament. The episode, now circulating widely on social media, has brought unwelcome scrutiny at a politically sensitive time.
The controversy surfaced after BJP leader Amit Malviya shared video footage and screenshots of purported internal conversations between TMC MPs on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, highlighting what he described as a “public spat” between party leaders at the Election Commission of India (ECI)
.On 4th April 2024, two TMC MPs had a public spat at the headquarters of the Election Commission of India, where they had gone to submit a representation. It appears the party had instructed its MPs to gather at the Parliament office to sign the memorandum before proceeding to the… pic.twitter.com/BwqQRE8FhI
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 7, 2025
According to Malviya, the incident occurred on April 4, 2025, when a TMC delegation visited the ECI to submit a memorandum. “It all started after one MP, who was carrying the memorandum, went to the EC office directly ignoring party’s instruction to first meet other members of the delegation at party’s Parliament office to get the document signed by all of them. This angered the other MP, who confronted him when they came face to face at the commission office,” he wrote.
He added, “Later the fight continued in the 'AITC MP 2024' WhatsApp group with MPs trading barbs at each other.”
‘I Want the Media to See This’
A video clip shared as part of the leak captures a visibly angry Kalyan Banerjee, TMC MP and Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha, engaged in a heated exchange while party colleagues attempt to calm him. When advised that media personnel were witnessing the scene, Banerjee dismisses the concern, declaring: "So what! I want the media to see this."
Banerjee continued his tirade, asserting that he would not tolerate perceived disrespect: "I have not come through quota or from any other party. Soon after the public spat between two TMC MPs in the precincts of the Election Commission of India on 4th April 2025, the irate MP continued slandering the ‘Versatile International Lady (VIL)’…
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This is the stuff legends are made of! pic.twitter.com/dsubQrmQUj
WhatsApp Dispute Deepens Crisis
Following the confrontation at the ECI, tensions escalated within the party’s internal communication channels. A spat reportedly ensued on the official WhatsApp group for TMC MPs between Banerjee and Kirti Azad, a former cricketer who joined the party in 2021. The exchanges, now leaked, reveal not just a conflict between two members, but suggest the involvement of a third MP as well.
Banerjee, in one of the messages, allegedly said: "Just because the woman MP speaks fluent English doesn't mean she can insult anybody."
Following the online altercation, the woman MP reportedly exited the WhatsApp group and lodged formal complaints with both Mamata Banerjee and TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, according to sources cited by PTI.
‘He Has Leaked the WhatsApp Chats’
A senior party leader, speaking to PTI on condition of anonymity, stated that the initial confrontation between Kalyan Banerjee and the woman MP centered on procedural disagreements regarding the signing of the memorandum. “After the TMC delegation arrived at the EC office, Kalyan Banerjee had a verbal spat with the woman MP... She then asked the security personnel to intervene and demanded his arrest, alleging misconduct towards a woman parliamentarian,” the leader revealed.
The episode escalated when Banerjee and Azad resumed their exchange on the WhatsApp group. Banerjee later accused Azad of triggering the dispute and leaking the chats: "It was Kirti Azad who provoked me and was lecturing me on what to do. He has leaked the WhatsApp chats."
Calls for Disciplinary Action
Senior TMC MP Sougata Roy expressed dismay at the incident, holding Banerjee responsible for damaging the party’s image. “What he has done has maligned the party. Party should immediately remove Kalyan Banerjee from the post of chief whip. He misbehaves and insults everyone in the party. It must take stern action against him,” Roy told reporters.
Political Implications for Mamata Banerjee
The timing of this internal rift could not be more inopportune for Mamata Banerjee. As the party prepares for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the public display of factionalism poses a significant threat to its unity and public image. Already grappling with the political fallout from the school jobs scam, this latest controversy provides fresh ammunition to the opposition, particularly the BJP, as it seeks to challenge TMC’s dominance in the state.
As Mamata Banerjee attempts to assert control over the situation, the immediate task before her is to identify the source of the leaks and prevent further erosion of party discipline.
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