TMC’s missing MLAs, statewide arrests and protest plans: What’s going on

KOLKATA: A cancelled meeting of Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators, a growing list of arrests of party leaders across West Bengal and fresh protest plans announced by the ruling party have brought the spotlight back on the political turbulence unfolding in the state.

The developments came into focus on Sunday after a scheduled meeting between TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and party MLAs was called off when only around 20 of nearly 80 legislators turned up. The party attributed the low attendance to an “emergent ground situation”, saying several MLAs were occupied with handling protests and assisting party workers arrested in recent police action.

The cancelled meeting comes amid a broader crackdown following protests over alleged attacks on Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee, and police arresting several TMC leaders, former MLAs, councillors and local functionaries in cases ranging from alleged extortion and corruption to obstruction of police and post-poll violence.



Speaking outside Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said absent legislators had sought a postponement because they were dealing with developments on the ground following protests over alleged attacks on national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and MP Kalyan Banerjee.

Among those arrested in recent days are former Purbasthali North MLA Tapan Chattopadhyay, former Burdwan South MLA Khokon Das, former Chinsurah MLA Asit Mazumder and several municipal leaders and councillors from Hooghly, North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts. Police have linked the arrests to cases involving alleged corruption, extortion, post-poll violence and obstruction of law enforcement.

According to West Bengal DGP Siddh Nath Gupta, more than 200 FIRs have been registered in connection with post-poll violence. Police have made 433 arrests and detained over 1,100 people preventively.

As the arrests continue, the TMC is shifting into protest mode. The party has announced block-level and municipal ward rallies across the state on Monday, while Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to lead a daylong sit-in protest at Rani Rashmoni Road in Esplanade on Tuesday. The party says the demonstrations are aimed at protesting alleged post-poll violence and what it describes as “inhumane” bulldozer-led hawker evictions.