Pragjyotishpur: Assam before Assam
Assam is widely known across India as the abode of Goddess Kamakhya, the embodiment of feminine force, desire, and procreation.
A damaging power struggle has erupted within the Assam unit of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), with top state leaders trading serious allegations of fund misuse, political sabotage, and criminal intimidation, casting a long shadow over the party’s ambitions for the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam.
The infighting burst into public view after AITC state president Romen Chandra Borthakur filed a police complaint against senior vice president Dulu Ahmed.
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The complaint lodged at Dispur Police Station on Wednesday accuses Ahmed and his close associate Sanjib Mahanta of sending vulgar and threatening messages over WhatsApp, demanding a response from Borthakur by May 12.
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The state president claims that these threats are grave enough to put his life at risk and has requested police protection.
In a sharp rebuttal, Ahmed accused Borthakur of siphoning off party funds amounting to over Rs 15 lakh that were meant for panchayat poll candidates in key Lower Assam districts, including Goalpara, Mankachar, Boko-Chaygaon, Samaria, Barpeta, Nalbari, and Bajali.
He further alleged that Borthakur had gone missing during critical campaign periods, remaining in Kolkata while workers in Assam received little to no support.
Ahmed also accused Borthakur of weakening the party from within by secretly engaging with senior Congress leaders, a move he claimed was intended to sabotage Trinamool’s growth in the state.
The escalating internal conflict comes at a crucial moment for the Trinamool Congress, which has been striving to carve out space as a third force in Assam politics.
While the party has projected itself as an alternative to the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, its Assam unit has struggled to build a stable organisational base and continues to battle internal divisions.
Party insiders say the public fallout has further demoralised grassroots workers, with many complaining of a lack of transparency, direction, and strategic leadership.
As one senior party functionary put it, “Without unity and a clear vision, our prospects for 2026 could vanish before they begin.”
Borthakur has denied all charges of financial impropriety and political sabotage, asserting that the allegations are part of an intimidation campaign. He has signalled his intent to take the matter to the party’s national leadership in Kolkata, as well as to central investigative agencies.
With Mamata Banerjee’s AITC keen on expanding its footprint in the Northeast, the Assam unit’s implosion could seriously undermine the party’s credibility and readiness for the electoral battle ahead.
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