Trinamool Accounts Frozen After Rebel Letter, ₹440 Crore Blocked

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a fresh crisis as three of its bank accounts have been frozen by a Kolkata bank, blocking funds worth approximately ₹440 crore, according to sources. The freeze follows a letter from former party treasurer Aroop Biswas, who asked the bank to halt all transactions citing the ongoing split in the party's parliamentary and legislative wings.

Documents accessed by The Hindu show that the bank informed the officer-in-charge of the cyber crime police station in Bidhannagar on Friday (June 19, 2026) that a 'debit freeze' had been placed on the three accounts. In his letter, Mr. Biswas, a former minister, stated: "In order to safeguard the funds of the organisation, I request your good office to maintain the status quo and refrain from permitting any debit transactions or changes in operational mandates."

Mr. Biswas is currently under investigation for alleged financial irregularities and administrative lapses during footballer Lionel Messi's 2025 Kolkata tour. It is unclear whether he consulted TMC chief Mamata Banerjee or senior leader Abhishek Banerjee before writing to the bank.

However, party loyalist and MLA Kunal Ghosh said Mr. Biswas no longer holds the position of treasurer. During an executive committee meeting on June 5, the party unanimously decided that Subhasish Chakraborty would be the treasurer, and he has been discharging those functions since then, Mr. Ghosh said.

The account freeze also coincides with a complaint by 10 rebel MLAs, aligned with Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, to the cyber crime police station. The MLAs sought registration of a First Information Report and a detailed investigation into the accounts, alleging that "certain funds, arising out of illegal activities, including misuse of influence, dishonest financial dealings and suspected unlawful collection of money, may have been routed and subsequently deposited into bank accounts."

The TMC won 80 seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election. Since then, Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee has claimed the support of 65 of those MLAs, with only a handful remaining loyal to the party. Additionally, 20 of the party's 28 Lok Sabha MPs have decided to merge with the little-known National Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and back the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

On Saturday (June 20, 2026), Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who leads the rebel group of MPs, announced plans to take legal action against TMC MP Mahua Moitra for alleging that the rebels had taken pecuniary gains for switching sides. Ms. Moitra, who met Ms. Mamata Banerjee on the same day, said she welcomed any complaints and questioned why the MPs who used party funds for their campaigns are now aligning with the BJP.