Trinamool under fire amid corruption charges, arrests ahead of 2024 LS polls

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress is finding itself in a tight spot ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls.

The recent chain of events-arrest of state minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, a series of raids by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged ration distribution scandal and the cash-for-query allegations against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra-have all left the party shaken.

JP Mallick's arrest is sure to hit Trinamool's organisational strength in the LS polls. Nicknamed 'Balu', Mallick was in-charge of North 24 Parganas district and had substantial political hold over the region, a party source told ET.


Just when the party was struggling to deal with Mallick's arrest, it found itself embroiled in a new controversy. There were allegations that its firebrand MP Mahua Moitra had taken money to raise questions in parliament. Though initially the party distanced itself from the issue and even said "it is personal" and Moitra will handle it herself, it later stood by her.

The incident involving Mahua Moitra has caused them major embarrassment ahead of the LS polls, party sources said.

In the last one year, Trinamool has suffered a major loss following the arrest of former education minister Partha Chatterjee and seizure of huge cash from apartments belonging to his close aide Arpita Mukherjee. This was followed by party heavyweight Anubrata Mondal and his daughter's arrest in connection with the alleged cattle scam and recovery of crores of rupees worth of property deeds.

Besides, a number of Trinamool leaders and MLAs, including Manik Bhattacharya and Jibon Krishna Saha, have been arrested by central agencies in alleged corruption cases.

Political analyst Subhomoy Moitra said, "From education to ration, corruption has been found. What is self analysis? What is truth and what are lies? As a ruling party, they should come forward and tell people what their position is".

Taking potshots at Mamata Banerjee, leader of opposition in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari said, "Two state ministers-Partha Chatterjee and Jyoti Priya Mallick-have been arrested. Mamata Banerjee had allocated portfolios to them. She knows everything. Now it is time to arrest the queen of the thieves".

Trinamool, however, has termed the arrests a political vendetta.