Senior Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee has stepped up his criticism of party leader Abhishek Banerjee. He said the political setup around the Camac Street office and the role of election firm I-PAC contributed to the party’s loss in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Banerjee argued that the consultant-led approach weakened the party’s traditional structure and sidelined local workers. He stated that many leaders once linked to the Camac Street office and I-PAC have now turned against Abhishek Banerjee. Banerjee also accused aide Sumit Roy of pressuring grassroots organisers to join a rival group led by former MP Ritabrata Banerjee. He repeated earlier claims that I-PAC replaced the party’s grassroots culture with data-driven methods and created false hopes among ticket aspirants. Banerjee said he had warned the leadership since 2022 about over-reliance on consultants. The comments come amid a deepening split in the party between supporters of Mamata Banerjee and a rebel faction that has formed a parallel structure and claims backing from many MLAs.
