Accept rebel TMC MLAs or risk a party split. Mamata in Catch-22 bind

A rebel group of TMC MLAs asked the Speaker to recognise Ritabrata Banerjee as a parallel leader in the Assembly. The move has sharpened a leadership contest around Mamata Banerjee and widened signs of organisational strain.

In Short

• TMC faces split as rebel MLAs claim leadership under Ritabrata Banerjee
• Group submits letter with 60 MLAs' support, demanding recognition
• MLAs challenges Abhishek Banerjee's authority, complicating leadership

A dramatic day inside the West Bengal Assembly on Wednesday saw the Trinamool Congress (TMC) confront an unprecedented internal rupture, as a breakaway group of MLAs openly staked claim to a separate leadership structure, setting up a direct challenge to the Mamata Banerjee-led party's central command.

The political crisis unfolded early in the day when suspended TMC leaders Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha arrived at the Assembly along with a group of rebel legislators, signalling the formal consolidation of a splinter faction within the party's legislative ranks.

Within hours, multiple MLAs reached the Assembly in unmarked and tinted vehicles, with several openly acknowledging that they were aligning with a new bloc under Ritabrata Banerjee's leadership. By mid-morning, the rebel camp claimed the support of 60 TMC MLAs, with nearly 25 already present inside the Assembly complex.

NEW LEADERSHIP CLAIM FORMALISED

The turning point came when the rebel group submitted a letter to Speaker Rathindra Bose, carrying signatures of 60 legislators. The letter demanded recognition of a new leadership structure within the Trinamool legislative wing.

It proposed Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition, along with Akruzzaman as Chief Whip, and named Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha, Shiuli Saha and Sabina Yasmin as deputy leaders.

The submission effectively formalised the faction's break from the existing party whip structure and intensified the institutional challenge to the party leadership.

ASSEMBLY OFFICE FOR REBEL BLOC

By late afternoon, Speaker Rathindra Bose handed over the Leader of Opposition chamber key to Ritabrata Banerjee, marking a decisive administrative shift inside the Assembly.

The office had reportedly remained unused following earlier procedural disputes linked to the appointment of Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition, a decision that was later contested over alleged signature discrepancies and triggered an investigation.

Following the development, Ritabrata Banerjee told reporters that he still considered Mamata Banerjee his leader and expressed willingness to seek her guidance and recognition.

MAMATA'S POLITICAL CATCH-22

The revolt has now placed Mamata Banerjee in a difficult political position, with the rebel faction openly rejecting the authority of Abhishek Banerjee, her nephew and TMC's organisational face.

What made the split more sensitive was that several of the rebel MLAs were reportedly given tickets on Abhishek Banerjee's recommendation, after sitting legislators were dropped ahead of the recently-concluded West Bengal Assembly elections.

Political observers said the crisis has effectively turned into a leadership legitimacy battle within the party, forcing Mamata Banerjee to choose between reinstating the rebels or backing the existing command structure.

'ASLI TMC' DELIMMA

While the rebel camp insists that Mamata Banerjee remains their leader, the move to install an alternative legislative leadership has widened the internal fault lines.

The development has also revived comparisons with past party splits in other states, where rival factions have gone on to claim the "real party" identity, eventually escalating into prolonged legal battles.

Observers tracking the development say the situation bears resemblance to the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis, where the Eknath Shinde-led faction broke away and claimed to be the legitimate Shiv Sena, eventually pushing the dispute over 'asli' (real) party into prolonged legal and constitutional battles.

For now, the TMC stands visibly split inside the House, with its leadership structure under open contestation and the balance of power still unsettled.

WIDER ORGANISATIONAL STRAIN

The revolt is not limited to the Assembly floor. It traces back to the expulsion of Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, after which the faction began consolidating support within the legislature.

The move to declare Ritobrato Banerjee as Leader of Opposition, despite earlier appointment of Sovandeb Chattopadhyay by the party, effectively nullified the earlier decision and rejected the party's authority inside the House.

This has now created a parallel claim structure inside the Assembly, directly challenging Mamata Banerjee's control over legislative discipline.

WIDENING CRACKS & UNCERTAINTY AHEAD

Concerns are also growing beyond the Assembly. Out of 42 TMC MPs, only a handful reportedly attended Mamata Banerjee's recent dharna in the Dharamtala area earlier this week.

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is also mentioned among those who have shown signs of dissent, while speculation continues that more MPs could be drifting away.

Against this backdrop, the internal rebellion inside the Assembly has sharpened fears of a wider organisational fracture.

For now, the party that once rallied behind the slogan "khela hobe" finds itself staring at a political contest inside its own ranks, with control, loyalty and legitimacy all under open question.

- Ends