In a fresh embarrassment for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, two of its prominent Members of Parliament Mahua Moitra and Kalyan Banerjee have locked horns in a very public and deeply personal spat, exposing the simmering factionalism and undisciplined infighting within the ruling party. What began as a war of words has now escalated into character assassination, wild accusations, and crude name-calling tarnishing the party’s already fragile image.
Moitra, the Lok Sabha MP from Krishnanagar, stoked controversy during a recent podcast with India Today by calling Banerjee a “pig” in an explosive metaphor aimed at ridiculing his attacks on her personal life. “You don’t wrestle with a pig. Because the pig likes it and you get dirty,” she said, responding to Banerjee’s earlier jibes about her marriage to senior advocate and former BJD MP Pinaki Misra. The vulgar tone and unfiltered language used by Moitra have triggered intense debate and highlighted the TMC’s inability to rein in its own leaders.
Rape Remark Sparks a Political Wildfire
The flashpoint for this intra-party feud traces back to June 2025, when a horrifying gang rape at a Kolkata law college reportedly involved individuals linked to the TMC’s student wing. While the public was still reeling from the crime, Kalyan Banerjee made a shocking and insensitive remark: “What can be done if a friend rapes a friend?” The backlash was immediate, with TMC distancing itself from the statement. Mahua Moitra seized the opportunity to call out the misogyny rampant in Indian politics, indirectly aiming fire at Banerjee.
Rather than de-escalate, Banerjee retaliated with personal attacks, accusing Moitra of being morally unfit to question him: “She has broken a 40-year-old family and married a 65-year-old guy. The women of the country will decide what kind of example she is.” Moitra, in return, labelled Banerjee as part of a group of “sexually frustrated, depraved men” in Parliament.
Longstanding Power Struggles in the Party
This isn’t the first time Mahua Moitra and Banerjee have clashed. Earlier in the year, a bizarre dispute erupted inside Parliament over Banerjee’s public promotion of a Bengali sweet shop during a Lok Sabha session. Moitra questioned whether the Parliament floor should be used for such antics, leading to verbal sniping between the two. Their feud reached the Election Commission’s Delhi office in April 2025, where Moitra objected to her name being omitted from a TMC memorandum. The confrontation turned ugly, with Moitra reportedly asking security to remove Banerjee from the premises.
Banerjee, in turn, accused other senior TMC leaders of betrayal. He branded MP Kirti Azad a “leaker” helping the BJP and called veteran MP Saugata Roy a “thief of Narada,” referring to the 2016 bribery sting. Roy responded that Banerjee had a habit of making deprecating remarks about women and revealed that several MPs had demanded Banerjee be removed as the Chief Whip in Lok Sabha.
Leadership Silent as Chaos Deepens
Despite the growing storm, TMC leadership particularly party chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has remained largely silent. While the party issued a showcause notice to MLA Madan Mitra over controversial rape comments, no such action has been taken against Kalyan Banerjee, who continues to enjoy top-level protection due to his close legal and political ties with Mamata.
This stark difference in treatment has only widened rifts within the party, with many questioning why Moitra’s concerns are being ignored while Banerjee is allowed to continue unchecked. Several leaders within TMC privately admit that these internal battles are demoralizing the cadre and sending the wrong message ahead of crucial elections.
A Party at War With Itself
The public slugfest between Mahua Moitra and Kalyan Banerjee is not just an isolated clash it reflects a deeper, more dangerous disease within the TMC. Factionalism, unchecked egos, misogynistic rhetoric, and the inability of the leadership to enforce discipline have become the defining traits of the party as it heads into the 2026 Assembly elections. As Mamata Banerjee attempts to present a united front against a resurgent BJP, her own MPs are dragging the party through the mud, making the TMC look less like a political force and more like a crumbling house divided.
