Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday suspended its former Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen and ex-MLA Abrul Islam for alleged “anti-party activities”, the party’s vice-president Jayprakash Majumdar said. The action comes as West Bengal’s ruling party continues to grapple with internal discord.
Sen, a doctor by profession and seen as a loyalist of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, had reportedly criticised the police for its investigation into the rape and murder of the medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
His vocal stand on the issue created a furore within the party, especially given his close ties to the young leader. Islam, on the other side, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the years.
A leader from Bhangore on the outskirts of Kolkata, his tiff with party MLA Saukat Mollah has often resulted in embarrassment for the top leadership. The suspensions signal the TMC leadership's effort to restore discipline within the ranks in the run-up to the 2026 assembly elections. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee formed several disciplinary committees in November and warned party leaders of going against the party line on different issues.
TMC expels its Malda town president
Earlier on Thursday expelled its Malda town president Narendra Nath Tiwari who was arrested in the murder of party councillor Dulal Sarkar. TMC's Malda district president Abdul Rahim Boxi announced Tiwari's expulsion from the party at a press conference.
TMC vice president Jayprakash Majumdar in Kolkata said the decision was in line with the directive issued by the state leadership. "The Malda district committee was directed by the state leadership regarding the expulsion of Narendra Nath Tiwari," he said.
Tiwari, arrested on Wednesday, was named the key conspirator along with his close associate Swapan Sharma in the murder of Sarkar, a TMC councillor of the English Bazar Municipality.
(With PTI inputs)
