Stories
From Maker to Breaker: The Rise and Fall of Mamata Banerjee and TMC
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CNBC TV18•06-10-2026, 10:53
From Maker to Breaker: The Rise and Fall of Mamata Banerjee and TMC
- •Mamata Banerjee founded the All India Trinamool Congress in 1998 after breaking away from the Congress, eventually ending the 34-year rule of the Left Front in West Bengal in 2011.
- •A devastating election defeat saw the BJP cross 200 seats while TMC was reduced to 80, with Suvendu Adhikari defeating Banerjee in Bhabanipur and later becoming Chief Minister.
- •Internal dissent erupted as rebels claimed the legislature party, dozens of MPs aligned elsewhere, and financial accounts were frozen following corruption scandals and controversies.
- •The Election Commission froze the TMC name and its iconic twin flowers and grass symbol, forcing Banerjee's faction to register under a new moniker amidst an intense leadership crisis.
- •Once a formidable force on the streets, Banerjee now finds herself seeking political alliances with the very parties she once opposed as her party infrastructure fractures.
Key Questions Answered
The Election Commission froze the All India Trinamool Congress name and symbol following a factional dispute where Ritabrata Banerjee’s rebel camp claimed the legislature party, froze bank accounts, and challenged the party leadership.
BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency by a little over 15,000 votes and subsequently became the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Following the freeze of the original party identity, Mamata Banerjee's group was temporarily named Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, while the rival faction became the Democratic Trinamool Congress, with the Supreme Court giving the Commission four months to decide ownership.
