With 28 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 12 members in the Rajya Sabha, the Trinamool Congress is the third largest Opposition party in Parliament. It did not want to be part of the choir standing behind the Congress, allowing the lead Opposition party to play the soloist. After all, the party will need allies when it moves an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. This campaign strategy, first prominently used in the 2021 Assembly election, was revitalised for the 2024 Lok Sabha election to frame the BJP as an “outsider” party that is hostile to Bengali culture and interests. Continuing with this theme, all TMC Parliamentarians have been instructed to deliver their speeches in Bangla, as far as possible.

Source: The Hindu February 16, 2026 04:51 UTC