
The shocking murder of two influential Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders in West Bengal’s Malda district has uncovered deep-seated divisions within the party, raising concerns about its internal dynamics and governance. Malda, once a Congress bastion, became a TMC stronghold after the party’s sweeping victory in the 2011 West Bengal elections. However, recent tragic events have cast a shadow over the party’s unity and control in the region.
The first blow came on January 2, when TMC district vice-president Dulal Sarkar, known fondly as Babla, was shot dead in broad daylight near his residence in English Bazar, Malda. Sarkar, a close confidant of party chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was gunned down in what appeared to be a carefully orchestrated attack. Among the seven arrested, the TMC Malda town president Narendra Nath Tiwari was named, later being expelled from the party in the aftermath. The police attributed the killing to a personal rivalry between the two, with a “long-standing grudge” fueling the deadly encounter.
Sarkar’s murder drew immediate and intense attention, both locally and across the state. He had long been a key figure in the party’s rise and was a respected face within Malda. To compound the tragedy, Babla’s wife, Chaitali Sarkar, too had been an active TMC member, further cementing their legacy within the party. The public and political fallout of his death has been immense, and Mamata Banerjee’s response underscored the weight of the loss for both the TMC and the community.
Taking swift action, Banerjee sent senior party ministers Firhad Hakim and Chandrima Bhattacharya to Malda to oversee the situation. The Chief Minister, visibly shaken, took to social media to express her grief: “My close associate and a very popular leader, Babla Sarkar, has been murdered today. From the beginning of the Trinamool Congress, he and his wife Chaitali Sarkar worked hard for the party…I am hugely shocked after knowing about the incident. The culprits must be booked immediately,” she wrote.
In a poignant statement during an administrative meeting the following day, Banerjee also lashed out at the police, highlighting their negligence in ensuring Sarkar’s safety. “He was attacked before. He used to get security, but it was later withdrawn,” she said, pointing out the systemic failures that might have contributed to his tragic demise.
However, this incident has not been the only blow to the TMC’s structure in Malda. A mere two weeks later, another murder, this time of a local TMC leader, further deepened suspicions of infighting and growing dissent within the party’s ranks. These killings have exposed the bitter undercurrents of power struggles in the district, as rival factions vie for control.
The ongoing turmoil in Malda raises troubling questions about the TMC’s internal strife. While the party has been a dominant force in West Bengal, these murders indicate that the unity and coherence within its ranks are under pressure. As TMC faces off with political opponents, its internal divisions could weaken its hold over regions like Malda, potentially affecting its future electoral prospects.
The latest wave of violence has ignited a public debate on the increasing influence of personal rivalries, corruption, and power struggles within the TMC. For the people of Malda, and the state at large, the question now is not just about the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, but also about the party’s ability to unite and ensure that such tragic events are not repeated. As the investigation continues, the TMC will need to confront these issues head-on if it hopes to maintain its dominance in West Bengal’s political landscape.