Job loss for 25,752 teachers- Mamata and Bengal's moment of reckoning

"The fate of a battle is the result of a moment, of a thought," Napoleon Bonaparte once rued while reflecting on the Battle of Waterloo. A single moment can have a cascading effect, even on the strongest rulers. Is West Bengal staring at such a decisive turn, with the Supreme Court, led by the Chief Justice of India, upholding the Calcutta High Court's judgment scrapping the employment of 25,752 teachers who 'cleared' the School Service Commission ( SSC ) exam held in 2016?

The ruling Trinamool Congress ( TMC ), still reeling from the aftermath of the RG Kar protests over the rape and murder of an intern doctor, has been hit yet again by a verdict that exposes a critical aspect of Mamata Banerjee’s governance—the claim of TMC's unflinching commitment to honesty.

In an impassioned 32-minute speech, Mamata Banerjee tried to put on a brave face. A consummate politician, she sought to pin the blame for the ignominy genuine candidates are facing on the CPM and BJP. The West Bengal Chief Minister even claimed that the verdict—undoubtedly a setback for her government—offered a couple of potential pathways to resolve the crisis. She latched on to the Supreme Court's order for fresh recruitment within three months and promised that the 'autonomous' SSC would efficiently execute the process.

However, not everyone shares her optimism.

Stinging rebuke by former SSC boss-

Former SSC Chairman Chittaranjan Mondal, was scathing in his remarks when contacted by TOI Online. Calling the entire saga tragic, he held the SSC and those in charge at the time of the exam primarily responsible for failing in their duties—whether due to political pressure or sheer callousness. Mondal remarked that if the SSC is truly independent, as the CM claims, then its chief at the time was worthless. The state government’s failure to submit the OMR answer sheets led to confusion over the legitimacy of candidates. But Mondal is skeptical—he finds it hard to believe that no backups or duplicates were available, based on his experience. He raises a pointed question: ' Why did the SSC stop issuing duplicate OMRs to candidates?'

The former SSC chief warns that scrutiny over the fresh examination in three months will be far more intense, and any mistakes could invite further embarrassment. Criticizing Mamata Banerjee for trying to shift blame onto the opposition, he insists that the 'buck stops with the political executive'. Mandal also predicts that this recruitment fiasco could have negative consequences for TMC in the 2026 assembly elections.

Political ramifications: Uncertainty or certain backlash?Former Calcutta University Vice Chancellor Raja Gopal Dhar Chowdhury offers a different perspective on the political fallout. He believes that the BJP is not going all out to upstage the TMC, fearing it could unintentionally revive the Left in Bengal. However, he speculates that public apathy may weaken the TMC’s electoral machinery.

Regarding the re-examination, Raja Gopal raises a pertinent question, "those who used corrupt means the first time around will get another opportunity. Can the corrupt truly mend their ways?" He laments that the societal respect for teachers is eroding, and all those recruited during the current regime will be viewed with suspicion.

Meanwhile, celebrated academic Pabitra Sarkar believes the electoral impact of this scam may be limited. He argues that voters receiving cash benefits from the government might not be moved by what he describes as 'complete anarchy in the education system'.

Partha Pratim Biswas, former Secretary of the Jadavpur University Teachers' Association, is less forgiving. Well known for his Left-leaning views, he describes this as 'a government-sponsored crime affecting state-sponsored education '. He lambasts the SSC as a 'politically compromised and defunded institution where rules were violated with impunity'.

Countering Mamata Banerjee’s allegations theat recruitment irregularities also occurred under the Left, Biswas challenges her: "If that is the case, why has no one from that era been jailed? " He believes that the Supreme Court’s scathing verdict will have serious social consequences, and disillusioned young voters might deliver a strong rebuke to the TMC.

Parallels with Tripura : Will Bengal follow suit?Not too far from Bengal, Left-ruled Tripura experienced a similar crisis in 2017 when the Supreme Court scrapped 10,323 teaching jobs over irregularities. Just a year later, the Left lost power after two decades of dominance.

It is too early to say whether West Bengal will follow a similar trajectory. But there is no doubt that this verdict has given a much-needed boost to the opposition BJP, which had been struggling with Lok Sabha election setbacks and internal disunity.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has already gone on the offensive, demanding Mamata Banerjee’s arrest. He finds it difficult to believe that such a vast scam was orchestrated solely by former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who was also the TMC’s Secretary General at the time. Incidentally, seizure of wads of cash from the residence of a woman with close ties to Chatterjee dramatically unraveled the case.

Mamata goes into offensiveMamata Banerjee is responding with a three-pronged strategy to mitigate the damage:

Solidarity with the sacked teachers: She has vowed to stand by those who lost their jobs and plans to share a platform with them soon. She has also promised the creation of 1 lakh new vacancies in schools and colleges, suggesting that this legal battle delayed those appointments. Alluding to Partha Chatterjee, she asked: 'How many should be punished for the sins of one person?'

Conspiracy angle: Mamata alleges that the Left and BJP have conspired against Bengal, fearing its meritocratic heft. She reserved particular sarcasm for Rajya Sabha MP and lawyer Bikash Bhattacharya, who played a key role in securing the verdict. Mocking him, Mamata said she is considering nominating him for the Nobel Prize. Bhattacharya, unperturbed by her barbs, maintains that since the Supreme Court has declared the entire recruitment process tainted, distinguishing between the guilty and innocent is impossible.

Subtle attack on the judiciary: Mamata questioned why a Delhi High Court judge could be transferred after discovery of money haul, but similar action could not be taken regarding this case.

The Verdict: A blow too big to spin?While streetfighter Mamata would indeed try to spin the verdict in the best way that serves her political fortunes, but the fact remains that the 42 page judgment of SC bench led by CJI earmarked issues of widespread recruitment corruption with OMRs destroyed and some giving blank OMR, violation of rules with illegal appointees were accommodated through supernumerary posts, manipulation of merit lists, appointments beyond declared vacancies. That the apex court virtually ratified the judgments of Calcutta High Court division bench puts TMC in a pickle.

Previously, when the single bench of the Calcutta High Court ruled against the TMC, the party dismissed the judgment by claiming bias, especially after Justice Abhijit Ganguly joined the BJP. Even after the division bench upheld the cancellation of jobs, TMC managed to avoid full-blown political damage.

But now, with the Supreme Court reinforcing the same findings, TMC has run out of legal shields. While Mamata may project resilience, the larger question remains—Will TMC conduct genuine introspection and clean up its governance, or will it go down the beaten paths.

The answer to this may well decide the outcome of the 2026 West Bengal elections.