Sukhendu Sekhar Roy hints at possible unrest among TMC MPs

Veteran Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy suggested that the rebellion within the TMC legislature party could eventually be reflected among the party's MPs. His remarks have intensified speculation about internal dissent and the future direction of the party

Kolkata: The political turbulence within the TMC showed signs of spreading beyond the West Bengal Assembly on Friday, with veteran Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy suggesting that the rebellion that has rocked the party’s legislative wing could eventually find an echo among its MPs as well.

Roy’s remarks came barely days after a large group of rebel MLAs wrested control of the TMC legislature party, dealing the biggest organisational blow to the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit since its formation nearly three decades ago.

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Speaking to a television channel, the senior parliamentarian said the scale and speed of the revolt in the Assembly were unprecedented and indicated that similar political reactions could emerge in Parliament in the coming months.

“I have never seen around 60 MLAs leave in such a short span of time. What I am saying is that a similar reaction is likely in the Lok Sabha too,” Roy said.

The comments immediately triggered speculation in political circles about possible fault lines within the TMC’s parliamentary ranks, especially at a time when the party is grappling with the fallout of its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections and an open challenge to Mamata Banerjee’s authority from within.

The TMC currently has 28 members in the Lok Sabha and 13 in the Rajya Sabha.

Roy, one of the party’s longest-serving parliamentarians, went further, claiming that the developments unfolding within the TMC were consistent with a prediction he had made nearly two years ago.

Referring to the controversy surrounding the RG Kar hospital case in 2024, Roy said he had then warned that the party was heading towards internal disintegration.

“What is happening now does not surprise me. I had said earlier that the organisation would eventually break apart. The process has started,” he said.

In perhaps his sharpest attack yet on the party leadership, Roy claimed that he remained associated with the TMC only in a formal sense.

“Physically, I am still in the party, but mentally I am not. Why should I remain with people accused of corruption and wrongdoing?” he said.

When asked by PTI whether similar developments could take place in the Rajya Sabha, Roy stopped short of making a categorical prediction but said such a possibility could not be ruled out.

“How can I say what will happen tomorrow? We will cross the bridge when it comes. But so far, no one has contacted me,” he said.

The remarks assume significance as they come against the backdrop of a growing stream of dissenting voices within the party after its electoral setback.

Over the past fortnight, several leaders have either publicly questioned the party’s direction or posted cryptic messages widely interpreted as criticism of the leadership.

Roy himself has been among the most vocal.

Last month, he posted a series of messages on social media invoking historical and political themes that many within the party viewed as thinly veiled commentary on the TMC’s condition.

In one post, he referred to the assassination of Roman ruler Julius Caesar and wrote that the people of West Bengal had put an end to an “unbearable anarchic situation” before the “Ides of May”, a remark that generated intense debate in political circles.

Earlier, he had written that democracies decline when wise voices are pushed aside and free thought is discouraged, comments that were seen by many observers as reflecting unease within the party’s senior ranks.

The latest remarks are likely to deepen concerns within the TMC, which has already been forced into damage-control mode after a group of rebel legislators challenged the party leadership and installed their own choices for key positions in the Assembly.