New Delhi: A major political upheaval has unfolded within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, as 59 rebel MLAs reportedly extended support to expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the legislature party. The development marks a significant escalation in the internal conflict within the ruling party.
According to sources, the dissident legislators submitted their decision to West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose along with signed letters of support.
New Leadership Proposal Submitted to Speaker
The rebel camp has also proposed a parallel leadership structure in the Assembly. Along with Ritabrata Banerjee as legislature party leader, the group named Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha, and Shiuli Saha as deputy leaders, while Akhruzzaman was proposed as chief whip.
The move comes after a meeting of dissident MLAs held at the Assembly, signaling an organized challenge to the existing leadership setup.
Anti-Defection Law at the Center of the Dispute
The development has raised legal and constitutional questions under the anti-defection law. With TMC holding 80 MLAs in the Assembly, a minimum of 54 MLAs is required to form a breakaway group, a threshold the rebel camp claims to have crossed.
If formally recognized, the faction could potentially be treated as a separate bloc within the House.
Rift Within Party Leadership Deepens
Notably, none of the MLAs who attended the rebel meeting were present at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s dharna in Kolkata earlier this week. Meanwhile, senior leaders such as Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Nayana Bandyopadhyay, Madan Mitra, and Kunal Ghosh stayed away from the dissident meeting, reflecting widening internal divisions.
The rebel communication reportedly still referred to Mamata Banerjee as the party chairperson, suggesting an attempt to challenge the legislature leadership rather than the party top post.
TMC Calls Move “Betrayal”
The Trinamool Congress leadership has strongly rejected the rebellion. Senior leader Kunal Ghosh described the move as “backstabbing” and said internal issues should have been resolved within the party.
He further termed the dissident MLAs as “traitors,” asserting confidence that the party would overcome the crisis under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership.
Organizational Shake-Up Announced
Amid escalating tensions, the TMC announced the dissolution of all state committees and frontal organizations. The party said it would undertake a full internal review and restructure its organizational framework based on performance assessment.
The leadership reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the party and preparing for future political challenges.
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