Mamata’s silence over Kishor’s Bankipur victory raises eyebrows
The BJP suffered a significant setback in its long-standing stronghold of Bankipur in Bihar, as Prashant Kishor defeated the party’s candidate to clinch the Assembly by-election seat previously held by saffron camp’s national president Nitin Nabin. While the result has sent ripples through national politics despite being a by-election, what has drawn equal attention is the conspicuous silence from West Bengal’s former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The election outcome was effectively sealed by 4 pm on Monday, with Kishor receiving his certificate of victory by 6:45 pm. Yet, even hours later, there was no reaction on X handle from either Mamata or Abhishek—an absence that has sparked curiosity in political circles, given their otherwise consistent engagement on social media for political developments, greetings, and public messaging.
No official explanation has been issued by the TMC leadership. However, sources within the party suggest that the silence may be strategic. One line of reasoning points to the TMC’s political alignment with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. The RJD is a constituent of the opposition’s INDIA bloc, of which the TMC is also a part, whereas Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) operates outside this alliance framework.
In the Bankipur contest, the RJD not only failed to capitalise on the BJP’s decline but slipped to third position, with its candidate trailing Kishor by a substantial margin. TMC sources indicate that openly congratulating Kishor could have been interpreted as endorsing a political rival at the expense of an ally. During the campaign, the RJD had aggressively portrayed Kishor as indirectly aiding the BJP, branding his outfit as a “B-team” of the saffron party. A senior TMC MP, speaking off the record, suggested that any congratulatory message at this juncture might risk straining ties within the INDIA alliance.
Another factor being cited is the sensitive history between the TMC and Kishor, particularly in connection with the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the political consultancy he once led. Kishor had played a key role in strategising the TMC’s successful 2021 Assembly election campaign in West Bengal before stepping away from political consulting to launch his own party in Bihar. However, relations between the two sides reportedly soured in the lead-up to the 2024 general elections.
Following the TMC’s subsequent political challenges, including defections by several leaders, sections within the party blamed I-PAC’s influence and decision-making processes. Abhishek had publicly described Kishor as “overrated”, while Kishor himself has not held back in criticising what he termed the “scum of corruption” within the TMC’s organisational structure.
Kishor’s remarks during the Bankipur campaign further underscored the strained relationship. Addressing allegations from the BJP that he harbored chief ministerial ambitions, he stated that he had been instrumental in helping install chief ministers in multiple states and claimed that without his involvement in 2021, Mamata might not have retained power in West Bengal.
Against this backdrop, political observers believe the silence from Kalighat is unlikely to be accidental. Rather, it appears to be a calculated move shaped by alliance compulsions, political sensitivities, and a complex personal history. Whether Mamata or Abhishek will eventually respond to Kishor’s victory remains to be seen, but if they do, it is expected that the messaging will be carefully calibrated.
Also read: Bankipur Assembly bypoll: Kishor remains ahead of BJP’s Sinha
