Kolkata: West Bengal’s political landscape witnessed a dramatic development on Wednesday as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) faced one of the biggest internal rebellions in its history. A group of 58 rebel MLAs formally backed expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of a separate faction within the party and submitted a letter of support to Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose. The move has intensified the political crisis within the ruling party and raised questions about its future organizational structure and legislative leadership.
The rebellion comes just days after TMC chief Mamata Banerjee expelled Ritabrata Banerjee and MLA Sandipan Saha from the party over a controversy involving alleged forged signatures on a proposal related to the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.
According to reports, the rebel MLAs met the Speaker and submitted documents recognizing Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of their legislative faction. Along with Banerjee, Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha, and Siuli Saha have been appointed deputy leaders, while Akhruzzaman has been named the chief whip of the group.
Interestingly, while the rebel faction has continued to acknowledge Mamata Banerjee as the party president, it has openly challenged the authority of Abhishek Banerjee in matters related to the legislative party. The dissidents have refused to accept decisions taken under his leadership, highlighting a growing divide within the party’s top ranks.
The crisis traces its origins to a dispute over the appointment of Shovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition. On May 9, a letter reportedly sent by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee proposed Chattopadhyay’s appointment. A second letter, sent on May 20, claimed the support of 70 MLAs.
However, questions soon emerged regarding several signatures on the documents. Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha alleged that no meeting had been held to discuss the proposal and claimed that their signatures had been forged. They formally complained to the Assembly Speaker, leading to the registration of an FIR at Hare Street Police Station.
The investigation was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which questioned multiple MLAs and collected signature samples for forensic comparison. The controversy deepened further when the CID reportedly issued notices to Abhishek Banerjee seeking clarification regarding the matter.
Shortly after the complaints were made, both Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha were expelled from the party, a move that further escalated tensions and ultimately led to the open rebellion.
Facing the most serious internal challenge in recent years, Mamata Banerjee responded by dissolving all state-level committees and frontal organizations of the Trinamool Congress with immediate effect. The decision is being viewed as an attempt to regain control over the party’s grassroots structure and prevent further erosion of support.
Party sources indicate that district, block and local committees will now be reconstituted. Major changes are also expected in youth, student, women’s and labor wings. The leadership is reportedly considering bringing in new faces and strengthening its grassroots network after concerns emerged following the party’s recent electoral setbacks.
Political observers believe the defeat suffered by the party in the Assembly elections contributed significantly to growing dissatisfaction among sections of the organization, creating conditions for the current rebellion.
Despite securing the support of 58 MLAs, the rebel group may face significant legal and constitutional hurdles if it attempts to claim control over the Trinamool Congress or its election symbol.
Under the anti-defection provisions contained in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, a split can avoid disqualification if at least two-thirds of the legislators support the breakaway faction. However, control over the party organization and election symbol is determined through a separate process involving the Election Commission.
Experts note that any future claim over the party would depend on several factors, including support within the party’s organizational structure, the position of the state and national executive committees, provisions of the party constitution, and backing from elected representatives.
In addition, a larger battle over the party’s identity could require support from a substantial portion of TMC’s Lok Sabha MPs. The issue may eventually reach the Election Commission and potentially the courts if competing claims emerge.
The unfolding crisis has drawn comparisons with the splits witnessed in Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in recent years.
In 2022, Eknath Shinde led a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray, resulting in a split in Shiv Sena. The Election Commission later recognized the Shinde faction as the official Shiv Sena and awarded it the party’s traditional bow-and-arrow symbol.
Similarly, in 2023, Ajit Pawar broke away from Sharad Pawar’s NCP. After a prolonged dispute, the Election Commission recognized Ajit Pawar’s faction as the official NCP and allotted it the party’s iconic clock symbol.
Whether West Bengal’s latest political turmoil follows a similar trajectory remains uncertain. However, with 58 MLAs openly challenging the party leadership and Mamata Banerjee launching a complete organizational reset, the Trinamool Congress now faces one of the most consequential internal battles in its history.
