4 min readKolkataFeb 10, 2026 03:18 PM IST
First published on: Feb 10, 2026 at 07:33 AM IST
Controversy erupted within the Congress in poll-bound West Bengal after its Pradesh Mahila Congress chief Shrabanti Singh accused state party president Subhankar Sarkar of harassing and insulting Mahila Congress functionaries. Sarkar, however, said it was a “conspiracy” to tarnish his image after the party decided to go solo in the upcoming state elections. Singh wrote to party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday alleging Sarkar of “threatening and disrespecting women” in the Mahila Congress.
“I, Shrabanti Singh, West Bengal Pradesh Mahila Congress President, am hereby lodging an official complaint to you against West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar for continuously threatening, hurling insults and abusing, making lewd comments, violating my modesty, disrespecting women and my family,” Singh wrote in her letter to Kharge.
“When Mahila Congress membership drive started in September 2024 under the direction of All India Mahila Congress President Alka Lamba, I started adding members from the marginalised groups where I was serving when I was in the Youth Congress. With the help of my team, I have added more than 1,00,000 women in the Pradesh Mahila Congress. Eventually I became the highest membership contributor in All India Mahila Congress, and was felicitated in New Delhi,” she wrote.
“Because of my contribution and record of social work, AICC has chosen me as the president of West Bengal Pradesh Mahila Congress. Although my appointment was delayed for reasons unknown to me, from the very beginning, state party president Subhankar Sarkar started harassing me, creating impediments in my efforts to strengthen the Pradesh Mahila Congress, and continuously using abusive languages, putting me in a very uncomfortable position in front of the party members,” Singh added.
“Subhankar Sarkar is annoyed by our committee and its activities. He is putting pressure on Mahila Congress functionaries, threatening to expel people who are involved in our party activities. Women from SC, OBC and minority communities are reluctant to join due to fear of retribution from WBPCC leaders. Sarkar has started threatening these women and has been threatening me too,” Singh wrote in her letter.
Citing a recent incident, Singh wrote, “On 7th February 2026, there was a showdown at WBPCC headquarters where Subhankar Sarkar, in front of 12 Mahila Congress functionaries, threatened to disband my committee. He has also threatened me and my family members using the most abusive tone that can be used against a woman.”
“As a Mahila Congress functionary, I am supposed to provide justice to marginalised women. But after the insult and false allegations on Mahila Congress workers, as a woman, I seek justice. For the interest of the party, and the dignity of the Indian National Congress organisation, I did not go public about it or register an FIR against Sarkar so far. But this issue is not to be ignored,” she wrote.
Sarkar denies allegations
However, Sarkar has denied the allegations levelled against him. He said, “When we took the decision to go it alone in the upcoming assembly elections, I anticipated these kinds of allegations to tarnish my image. Earlier, these came from other parties but now it has started within my party. Those who are in favour of an alliance with the Left are now conspiring to tarnish my image. Unfortunately, in doing so, they are also maligning the image of the party.”
“Whatever happened that day (February 7), happened in the public domain. Everybody knows what I said. All my party colleagues know what I said. So, I have no problem facing such politically motivated allegations,” Sarkar added.