TMC's Kakoli Dastidar accuses Kalyan Banerjee of misbehaviour, colleague hits back
In a May 28 letter, Kakoli Ghosh accused Kalyan Banerjee of inappropriate conduct and sought "punishment", amid escalating tensions after she was replaced by him as TMC chief whip following the party's poll defeat.
In yet another development that may not go down well with the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), party MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to formally lodge a complaint against party colleague Kalyan Banerjee. Dastidar has accused the TMC chief whip in the Lok Sabha of misconduct, verbal abuse and derogatory behaviour towards women MPs inside the House. Banerjee has hit back at Dastidar, saying the timing of the allegations "raises doubts".
In her letter dated May 28, 2026, the Barasat MP alleged that Banerjee repeatedly verbally abused her inside the Lok Sabha and routinely engaged in inappropriate conduct.
She sought permission from the Speaker to formally register the complaint and demanded action and "punishment" in the matter.
"I seek your permission to lodge a formal complaint to you for redressal against Lok Sabha Member of AITC Kalyan Banerjee, who has repeatedly verbally abused me inside the Lok Sabha. This misogyny has been against many lady members and needs to be punished," she wrote in the letter.
Following the TMC’s crushing defeat in the Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee removed Kakoli Ghosh from the post of party Chief Whip and appointed Kalyan Banerjee in her place.
Since then, a phase of mutual recriminations has begun within the party's parliamentary group.
Dastidar, once considered among the closest aides of Mamata Banerjee and part of the party’s old guard, has in recent weeks emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the TMC leadership and its organisational functioning.
In the letter to Speaker Om Birla, Dastidar alleged that Kalyan Banerjee’s behaviour was not limited to her alone and claimed that several other women MPs had also faced similar treatment from him.
Reacting to the allegations against him, Kalyan Banerjee hit back at Kakoli Dastidar, raising doubts over the timing of the allegations.
"After something happens on the floor, the Speaker must be informed immediately, that is the rule. Any incident must be reported to the Speaker without delay. As for the allegations being made, the question is who said what and when," Banerjee told ANI.
"The problem lies in their intentions. It seems they are acting with a motive, which raises my doubts".
KAKOLI DASTIDAR DISTANCING WITH TMC?
The latest move comes a day after Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar resigned from several organisational posts within the Trinamool Congress.
Earlier, she had stepped down as president of the party’s Barasat parliamentary district, taking “moral responsibility” for the TMC’s poor electoral performance in the region.
Soon after, she also resigned from the post of chairperson of the All India Trinamool Mahila Congress and relinquished other organisational responsibilities.
In her resignation letter, she had launched a sharp attack on the party leadership and indirectly targeted Kalyan Banerjee after he replaced her as the TMC’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha.
AN ORGANISATIONAL RESHUFFLE FALLOUT?
"It is not meaningful to hold a position where the indecent behaviour of another uneducated, rude party MP towards a woman MP cannot be stopped, or the cooperation and sympathy of the senior leadership cannot be obtained," she had written.
The reshuffle in Parliament had triggered visible discontent within the party’s parliamentary group.
After being removed as chief whip, Ghosh Dastidar posted a cryptic message on social media, saying, "I have known Mamata Banerjee since 1976 and have been working together since 1984. Today, I got the prize for my four-decade-long loyalty".
Her rebellion against the party leadership has also coincided with a broader attack on the TMC’s functioning after the Assembly poll debacle.
Ghosh Dastidar publicly criticised political consultancy firm I-PAC, accused the party of ignoring grassroots workers, and flagged concerns over corruption allegations, including the teacher recruitment scam, ration corruption cases and the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case controversy.
The veteran MP’s recent appearance at an administrative meeting chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari further intensified speculation about growing fissures within the TMC.
Her resignation from party posts also came a day after she attended Adhikari’s administrative review meeting in Kalyani despite the party’s instruction to abstain, though she denied any political motive behind attending the programme.
LEGAL ACTION AGAINST BANERJEE?
Meanwhile, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar’s son has warned Kalyan Banerjee of possible legal action over his alleged remarks against his mother, with the family currently seeking legal advice.
Kalyan Banerjee, the four-time MP from Sreerampur and one of the party’s most combative parliamentarians, has frequently courted controversy over his remarks and confrontations with political opponents as well as colleagues.
The latest episode also comes against the backdrop of past public disagreements involving senior TMC leaders such as Mahua Moitra and Kirti Azad, exposing widening cracks within the party after its electoral debacle.
While Kakoli Dastidar has not resigned as an MP or quit the Trinamool Congress, her complaint against Kalyan Banerjee is likely to deepen tensions within the party at a time when the TMC is struggling to contain dissent and regroup after its electoral collapse.
The TMC, however, has publicly maintained that the party remains united despite sporadic differences among leaders.