Major Revolt in Mamata’s TMC! 24 Hours After Kakoli Ghosh, Shantanu Sen Also Quits Party Post

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Shantanu Sen resigned from his position as the party’s national spokesperson on Thursday. This development comes just a day after Kakoli Dastidar Ghosh resigned from all her posts within the Mamata Banerjee-led party. Citing the 2024 R.G. Kar rape-and-murder case and allegations of corruption, Shantanu Sen stated in his resignation letter—addressed to Party President Mamata Banerjee—that he is no longer willing to lend his support, in his capacity as the party’s national spokesperson, to such unethical acts. The resignation letter, shared by the news agency ANI, reads: “During several difficult phases, I did not agree with various viewpoints; nevertheless, I consistently and openly voiced the party’s stance in the media regarding numerous controversial issues—an effort for which I have often received praise from the general public. However, under the current circumstances—where the people of Bengal have turned against us due to a multitude of unethical acts and instances of corruption, such as the R.G. Kar case, the Abhaya case, and the ‘jobs-for-bribes’ scandal—my conscience is no longer prepared to offer them any form of support as a spokesperson.” However, under the current circumstances—where the people of Bengal have rejected us due to numerous unethical acts and instances of corruption, such as the R.G. Kar case, the Abhaya case, and the ‘jobs-for-bribes’ scandal—I am no longer mentally prepared to support the party in any capacity as a spokesperson. Therefore, keeping the public’s verdict in mind, I wish to resign from the post of All India Spokesperson for the Trinamool Congress. I request you to kindly accept and respect my resignation. Although there were several difficult phases during which I did not agree with various viewpoints, I nevertheless openly voiced the party’s stance in the media on numerous controversial issues—an effort for which the general public has often commended me. However, under the current circumstances—where the people of Bengal have rejected us due to numerous unethical acts and instances of corruption, such as the R.G. Kar case, the Abhaya case, and the ‘jobs-for-bribes’ scandal—I am no longer mentally prepared to support the party in any capacity as a spokesperson. Therefore, keeping the public’s verdict in mind, I wish to resign from the post of All India Spokesperson for the Trinamool Congress. I request you to kindly accept and respect my resignation. Just a day earlier, TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar had resigned from her position as the head of the party’s women’s wing. In her resignation letter, she stated that the party had failed to protect her from the misconduct of a fellow MP—a reference she made indirectly, alluding to Banerjee. Banerjee had also removed her from the post of Chief Whip of the Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha. While, on one hand, Ghosh Dastidar has distanced herself further from the party by stepping down from key organizational posts, on the other, the complaint filed against her colleague, Kalyan Banerjee, has opened a new front in the internal turmoil plaguing the beleaguered Trinamool Congress.