Kalyan Banerjee blames Abhishek Banerjee's Camac Street circle for TMC collapse

Senior TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee has accused Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street ecosystem and political consultancy I-PAC of weakening the party, contributing to its defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The remarks escalate tensions amid a deepening split within the Trinamool Congress.

Allegations Against Camac Street and I-PAC

Banerjee claimed the organisational structure around Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street office had hollowed out the party. He alleged that leaders and workers tied to this network, along with I-PAC, were now either joining the rebel faction or turning against the leadership they once promoted.

"Camac Street has finished the party," Banerjee stated, criticising Abhishek Banerjee’s political approach. He also accused Abhishek’s aide Sumit Roy of pressuring grassroots organisers to switch to Ritabrata Banerjee’s rebel camp, though this claim could not be independently verified.

Criticism of Consultant-Driven Politics

Banerjee argued that I-PAC replaced the TMC’s traditional organisational culture with a consultant-driven model, sidelining experienced workers. He claimed the firm influenced candidate selection and created unrealistic expectations among ticket aspirants, leading to internal resentment and sabotage during the polls.

He maintained that his warnings against over-reliance on political consultants had gone unheeded since 2022. Banerjee reiterated that parties must be built through worker-voter engagement, not surveys and data analytics.

TMC’s Deepening Internal Crisis

The TMC faces its worst internal crisis since 1998, with the party now split between Mamata Banerjee’s faction and rebels led by Ritabrata Banerjee. The rebellion stems from opposition to Abhishek Banerjee’s growing influence and his perceived role as Mamata Banerjee’s political heir following electoral setbacks.

Rival factions are preparing to observe Martyrs’ Day separately on July 21. The rebel camp, which claims support from around 65 legislators, recently elected Arup Roy as its chairperson and established a parallel organisational structure, removing Mamata Banerjee from her post.

The split has extended to Parliament, with 20 of the TMC’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs breaking away to back the BJP-led NDA after merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). Several senior leaders have also distanced themselves from the Mamata Banerjee camp.