TMC restructures district units, forms core committees ahead of 2026 polls
The Statesman | 17 May 2025
In a significant organisational overhaul ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) has restructured multiple district units, replacing traditional leadership roles with core committees to strengthen its grassroots presence and counter the BJP’s growing influence.
On Friday, the TMC formally announced changes in its district-level leadership across several regions, including Birbhum and North Kolkata. The party has scrapped the district president posts in both regions, forming multi-member core committees instead – a strategic shift reportedly endorsed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. In Birbhum, a seven-member committee has been constituted, including controversial leader Anubrata Mondal, who was earlier in jail in connection with a cattle smuggling case. While Mondal remains a committee member, he no longer holds any official post. Other committee members include Abhijit Sinha, Ashis Banerjee, Chandranath Sinha, Bikash Roychowdhury, Sudipta Ghosh, and Kajal Sheikh.
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MPs Shatabdi Roy and Asit Mal will serve as invitee members. The move comes after Mamata Banerjee formed an ad-hoc core committee in Birbhum in 2022 following Mondal’s arrest. Despite his temporary return, the party retained the committee structure. Friday’s development cements the committee’s authority over the district unit. A similar structure has been introduced in North Kolkata, where a nine-member committee comprising MLAs Nayana Bandyopadhyay, Atin Ghosh, Shashi Panja, Paresh Pal, Supti Pandey, Swarnakamal Saha, Swapan Samaddar, Jiban Saha, and Vivek Gupta will lead the organisation. Senior MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who until now held the district president’s post, has been appointed as district chairperson. TMC insiders suggest the changes aim to decentralise power, promote collective leadership, and rejuvenate the party’s organisational machinery. “This restructuring reflects the leadership’s trust in grassroots legislators and seeks to avoid over-centralisation,” said a senior party official, requesting anonymity.
The overhaul marks a notable shift from the TMC’s earlier district leadership model, especially in politically crucial districts like Birbhum, once considered a stronghold of Anubrata Mondal, and North Kolkata, a bastion of veteran leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay. More district-level changes are expected in the coming weeks as the party prepares for a high-stakes electoral battle next year.