People rejected us: Santanu Sen quits TMC, cites corruption, RG Kar case
Santanu Sen resigned as Trinamool Congress national spokesperson, citing corruption allegations and the RG Kar case. His exit, following Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar's resignation, adds to signs of unrest after the party's election defeat.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Dr Santanu Sen quits TMC. (AI generated)
Trinamool Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen resigned as the party’s national spokesperson on Thursday, citing corruption allegations and the handling of the RG Kar rape-murder case as reasons for stepping down.
In his resignation letter addressed to party chief Mamata Banerjee, Sen said he could no longer defend the party on issues involving “immoral acts” and corruption. The resignation letter, shared by ANI, referred to controversies including the RG Kar rape-murder case, the Abhaya case and the alleged cash-for-jobs scam.
“Even though I did not agree with views during various difficult times, I fought publicly for the party in the media on many controversial issues. But in the current situation, when the people of Bengal have rejected us for various immoral acts and corruption, my mind no longer agrees to support them as a spokesperson,” Sen wrote.
He further stated that he was resigning while respecting the verdict delivered by the people in the recently concluded Assembly elections.
Sen’s resignation comes a day after TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar stepped down as chief of the party’s women’s wing and resigned from several organisational responsibilities. In her resignation letter, Dastidar alleged that the party had failed to protect her from the alleged misconduct and verbal abuse of a fellow MP, indirectly referring to Kalyan Banerjee.
The developments have exposed growing cracks within the Trinamool Congress following its crushing defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party secured a massive mandate by winning 207 of the 293 seats declared on May 4, ending the TMC’s long rule in the state.
The BJP also registered a significant victory in the Falta Assembly constituency during the repoll held on May 21, adding to the pressure on the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
Political observers believe the back-to-back resignations and public criticism from senior leaders indicate growing unrest and dissatisfaction within the TMC leadership after the electoral setback. The party leadership has not yet officially responded to Sen’s resignation or the allegations raised by the two leaders.
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