The Trinamool Congress on Friday (January 10, 2024) suspended former party Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen and former Bhangar MLA Arabul Islam for anti-party activities.

The decision was taken by the disciplinary committee of the party. Trinamool Congress vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar said the decision was taken after consultation with senior leaders in the party.

Santanu Sen had distanced himself from the party after speaking against the official line of the party during the protests over rape and murder of a doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. Mr. Sen, who was perceived to be close to Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had criticised the State government for allegedly shielding the former principal of the State Health facility Sandip Ghosh. Kakali Sen, wife of Santanu Sen, is also a Trinamool Congress councillor from ward number 2 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation and recently she was removed from certain WhatsApp groups of the party.

Arabul Islam, former MLA of Bhangar in South 24 Parganas, had lost favour from the party since the past few years. On January 1, 2025, while hoisting the party flag on the Trinamool Congress Foundation Day, Ms. Islam got into a scuffle with another group of the party led by MLA Saukat Mollah.

The Trinamool Congress in the last week of November 2024 came up with three disciplinary committees — one at the level of Parliament, second at the level of State Assembly and the third at the party level. On December 3, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told party leaders that she was the final word in the party. The party had recently suspended two leaders related to its professor and teachers union for advocating a bigger role for Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the party.

Political observers say that suspensions are not a usual thing and quite rare in the Trinamool Congress, though the party is riddled with factionalism and its leaders speak in different voices.