Two weeks after the West Bengal Assembly election results, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs on Wednesday staged a protest against post‑poll violence and the eviction of hawkers at Sealdah and Howrah stations, at the Legislative Assembly premises. However, of the 80 TMC MLAs, less than half turned up for the protest.

With the sparse turnout of Opposition MLAs—only 34 TMC MLAs were present at the sit-in protest at the Dr B R Ambedkar status—drawing attention, MLA Kunal Ghosh stepped in for damage control.

“The new ruling party is waging deadly post-poll violence in many of our MLAs’ constituencies. In many places, ordinary party workers are homeless. The fact-finding team of our party has visited the affected areas of the state today. It is due to these reasons and due to the heavy responsibility of standing by the workers of their own areas that several TMC MLAs could not be present in time for this programme in Kolkata,” said Ghosh.

The TMC announced that they could continue the agitation on Thursday and stage protests at Sealdah station, Howrah station, and Ballygunj.

“In the 15 days since the results, dozens of our leaders have been attacked across the state. The BJP has started its bulldozing politics while we are sitting at home. On Tuesday, many MLAs raised this issue at a meeting at the residence of party supremo Mamata Banerjee. Following that, it was decided the party would take to the streets in protest,” a senior TMC leader said.

Along with the absence of MLAs, political circles were abuzz about the legislators raising slogans such as “Mamata Banerjee Zindabad” and “Trinamool Zindabad”, without mentioning Abhishek Banerjee, with many speculating this was a reflection of the unease over his role in the party, particularly after his close aide Jahangir Khan withdrew his name from the Falta election.