In a shocking turn of events, the internal factionalism of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has burst into the open right before the Lok Sabha elections. Asit Mazumdar, the TMC MLA from Chinsurah, has stirred a hornet’s nest by claiming that Rachana Banerjee, the party’s candidate from Hooghly, does not want Debangshu Bhattacharya, the candidate from Tamluk, to emerge victorious.

During a public gathering, Mazumdar’s blunt remarks sent shockwaves through the party ranks. He suggested a lack of synergy and mutual support between the two high-profile candidates, both of whom are considered close to the party’s top leadership. This “TMC vs TMC” narrative has provided significant ammunition to the opposition, especially the BJP, which has been quick to highlight the lack of unity within the ruling party.

Political observers believe that such open defiance from a veteran MLA like Mazumdar indicates deep-seated resentment or strategic differences within the regional units. While Rachana Banerjee has been busy with her ‘Didi No. 1’ persona on the campaign trail and Debangshu has been leading the party’s youth outreach, this controversy threatens to derail the narrative of a united front. As the state moves closer to the polling dates, the TMC high command may have to step in to perform damage control before this internal friction costs them dearly at the hustings.