The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), commonly known as the Trinamool Congress (TMC), is an Indian political party, which is a type of institution, based primarily in the state of West Bengal. Its core ideology is centered on Bengali nationalism, secularism, populism, and welfarism.
The party was founded on January 1, 1998, by Mamata Banerjee. It originated as a breakaway faction of the Indian National Congress (INC). The primary problem it sought to solve was to challenge and end the 34-year rule of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front government in West Bengal, which had been in power since 1977. The TMC rose to prominence through grassroots movements, notably the Nandigram and Singur movements, against alleged land acquisition injustices. It successfully came to power in West Bengal in 2011.
The party's mechanism for governance in West Bengal involves prioritizing the rural economy and implementing various welfare schemes. Its official election symbol is Jora Ghas Phul (two flowers with grass). The party is led by Chairperson Mamata Banerjee and General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The TMC connects to the broader national political landscape, having been recognized as a national party by the Election Commission of India in 2016. It is currently part of the INDIA alliance (as of 2023).
The party has undergone significant recent changes: it lost its national party recognition from the Election Commission of India in 2023 due to insufficient performance criteria outside West Bengal. Furthermore, in June 2026, the party dissolved all its organizational committees in West Bengal for a comprehensive review and restructuring. This move came amid a major internal crisis and rebellion, with a large section of dissident MLAs and MPs seeking to form separate groups or merge with other parties.