- Expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee claims support of 60 MLAs.
- Dissident TMC MLAs seek recognition as official legislative party.
- Mamata Banerjee alleges BJP conspiracy to split Trinamool Congress.
- Internal dispute stems from Leader of Opposition appointment controversy.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) appears headed for a major internal rupture, with a large section of its legislators reportedly backing expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee for the post of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly.
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, nearly 60 of the TMC’s 80 MLAs have signed a letter supporting Banerjee’s candidature. The dissident camp is expected to submit the document to Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose, seeking recognition as the “real” TMC in the legislature.
The development has intensified speculation about a formal split within the party founded by Mamata Banerjee, less than a month after it lost power in West Bengal.
Dissidents Eye Recognition As Official TMC Party
Leaders aligned with Ritabrata Banerjee claim they have crossed the constitutional threshold required to establish a separate legislative group.
Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, at least two-thirds of a legislature party’s members must support a merger or split for it to gain legal recognition. In the 80-member TMC legislative party, the dissidents would require the support of at least 54 MLAs.
“Our letter seeking recognition as the real TMC is ready. We will hand it over to the Speaker,” HT quoted a senior dissident leader as saying.
The crisis bears similarities to the 2022 split in Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena, when a rebel faction led by Eknath Shinde eventually secured recognition as the official party.
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Mamata Alleges BJP Conspiracy
Addressing a rally in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of attempting to engineer a split within her party.
“A conspiracy has been hatched from Delhi to split the TMC. But we will not allow it to happen. We will fight,” she said.
The former chief minister’s remarks came amid reports that only a small number of sitting MPs and MLAs attended her recent public demonstration, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the party leadership.
A senior TMC leader sought to downplay the rebellion, saying, “Mamata Banerjee equals TMC. Everything else is a joke.”
LoP Dispute Triggered Internal Crisis
The dispute traces its roots to the party’s decision to nominate veteran legislator Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition on May 6.
However, the process ran into controversy after Ritabrata Banerjee and another MLA, Sandipan Saha, alleged that some signatures supporting the nomination had been forged. Following the complaint, Speaker Rathindra Bose reportedly declined to recognise the appointment.
The TMC subsequently expelled both legislators on June 1.
On Tuesday, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee sent a fresh communication reiterating the party’s support for Chattopadhyay’s appointment as LoP. However, reports indicated that the Speaker’s office had not received the letter.
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Ritabrata Says He Represents ‘Better Version Of TMC’
Despite his expulsion, Ritabrata Banerjee insisted that he remains committed to the party’s original ideals.
“I believe I still belong to the Trinamool. Those who claim that they are running Trinamool, which means grassroot, have actually lost touch with the grassroot level. One person tried to corporatize the party. The people didn’t accept it. People want a better version of TMC,” Ritabrata told HT.
Ritabrata Banerjee, a former Rajya Sabha member, was earlier associated with the CPI(M) before joining the TMC. He was sent to Rajya Sabha in 2024 by the TMC for just 15 months.
Echoes Of Maharashtra’s Political Upheaval
Political observers have drawn parallels between the unfolding situation in West Bengal and the splits that transformed Maharashtra politics in recent years.
In 2022, Eknath Shinde’s rebellion led to the collapse of the then-government and eventually saw his faction recognised as the official Shiv Sena. A similar division later emerged within the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar.
With the TMC holding significant strength in Parliament and the West Bengal Assembly, the outcome of the latest power struggle could have far-reaching implications for the party’s future and the state’s political landscape.
