In a significant development that is expected to deepen the struggle for control within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the rebel faction headed by Ritabrata Banerjee on Monday appointed senior MLA Arup Roy as the chairperson of what it called the “real” Trinamool Congress, directly challenging the leadership of party founder Mamata Banerjee. The group also announced the suspension of national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee shortly after introducing a parallel organisational framework, indicating that its challenge has now extended beyond the legislative arena into the party’s organisational structure.
The move represents the most serious challenge yet to Mamata Banerjee’s authority, which has been increasingly tested following a wave of defections and internal rebellions in both the Assembly and Parliament after the TMC’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. The decision was taken after Ritabrata Banerjee and rebel MLAs held a separate meeting with party councillors at a five-star hotel in New Town. The gathering was attended by senior leaders including Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha, Asim Bose, Jui Biswas and Tarak Singh, along with rebel legislators, councillors and former elected representatives from Kolkata, Howrah, Murshidabad, Berhampore and several other districts.
The rebel camp stated that the meeting was called to address what it described as a constitutional crisis within the party. Speaking at the event, Ritabrata Banerjee argued that the party constitution requires the formation of a national working committee every three years and that the committee established in February 2022 had completed its term without being renewed. He maintained that since the organisational structure had not been reconstituted after its tenure ended, it had become necessary to begin rebuilding the party’s national leadership in line with constitutional provisions.
Following his remarks, those present unanimously approved the creation of a new national working committee consisting of Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Biplab Mitra, Akhruzzaman Ansari, Sabina Yasmin, Sandipan Saha, Rathin Ghosh, Javed Khan and Ritabrata Banerjee. The committee was later expanded to include 30 members. Arup Roy, the veteran MLA from Howrah Central, was subsequently elected chairperson through a voice vote.
Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Rathin Ghosh and Sabina Yasmin were appointed vice-chairpersons, while Ritabrata Banerjee, Javed Khan and Sandipan Saha were named general secretaries. Akhruzzaman Ansari was given charge as treasurer, and the committee also decided to appoint an independent auditor to review the party’s financial records.
The faction claimed that the newly established committee represented the legitimate continuation of the Trinamool Congress, arguing that the existing leadership had failed to follow the organisational requirements laid down in the party constitution. Sources within the rebel camp asserted that around 60 MLAs and a large number of councillors, including several from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, either attended the meeting or supported the resolutions that were passed.
The Trinamool Congress is currently facing one of the most significant internal revolts in its history after losing power in West Bengal following nearly 15 years in government. A few weeks earlier, a majority of the party’s MLAs had backed Ritabrata Banerjee’s claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition, rejecting the candidate supported by the Mamata Banerjee-led leadership. Since then, the rebel faction has maintained that it enjoys the support of around 65 legislators in the Assembly.
The crisis has also extended to Parliament, where at least 20 of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs reportedly broke away from the Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party and merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), while extending support to the BJP-led NDA. This development has significantly reduced the party’s strength in the Lok Sabha.
