Maharashtra style split in TMC? Rebel meetings at MLA hostel fuel buzz in West Bengal

Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s political crisis is deepening each passing day. Following the crushing defeat in the Assembly elections, the TMC is losing its cards one by one. TMC leaders are adopting a rebellious stance. Mamata Banerjee has expelled Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha for anti-party activities. 

Will expelled Ritabrata Banerjee now prove to be TMC’s “Eknath Shinde”? 

The year 2022 was a turning point in Maharashtra, when Eknath Shinde rebelled against the Shiv Sena and snatched both government and political power from Uddhav Thackeray. Now, a similar political scenario is being written in West Bengal. At the center of this is expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee. 

Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha met several TMC MLAs at the MLA hostel in Kolkata last night. Sixty of the TMC’s 80 MLAs had distanced themselves from Mamata Banerjee’s meeting called on Sunday.

Now, Ritabrata Banerjee’s meeting with those same MLAs has increased political turmoil in Bengal. 

Disillusionment is growing among TMC workers and leaders. Voices of opposition against Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, are growing louder within the TMC.

Many TMC leaders and MLAs are openly blaming him for the party’s current state. They accuse him of corruption, arrogance, nepotism, sidelining senior leaders, and running the party like a fiefdom through professionals from I-PAC.

Some TMC leaders are openly accusing the party of becoming disconnected from ground realities after 15 years in power. They have become accustomed to syndicates and “cut-money” (commissions), and have become violently arrogant. They are demanding accountability and introspection, which Mamata Banerjee has stubbornly opposed. The biggest threat of a split in the TMC is coming from where the Trinamool Congress was born, meaning opposition from the grassroots has intensified. 

Mamata Banerjee called a meeting of TMC MLAs on Sunday, but only 20 of the 80 TMC MLAs attended. Prior to this, nearly 100 TMC councilors from various municipal bodies have resigned. Several TMC leaders are reportedly in talks with the BJP.

Some, like filmmaker and former MLA Raj Chakraborty, have left politics altogether after the election defeat. This disillusionment among leaders with the TMC is becoming a source of tension for Mamata Banerjee. 

Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, who became MLAs on a TMC ticket, have launched a campaign against Abhishek Banerjee, prompting Mamata Banerjee to expel them from the party. Ritabrata Banerjee met with several TMC MLAs late last night, fueling speculation that a new faction may be forming within the TMC. 

Among those who met Ritabrata Banerjee at the MLA hostel was a woman MLA from West Midnapore. According to a TMC MLA who met Ritabrata and Sandipan, “We are not trying to break away from the party and form a separate party; we will work under the TMC banner.” Thus, it’s clear that some political intrigue is brewing within the TMC.” 

Speaking to Aaj Tak, Ritabrata Banerjee directly challenged Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership. The main issue was the junior Banerjee’s role in the party’s relationship with IPAC. TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh alleged that the two expelled MLAs were trying to split the party and had held a secret meeting with some MLAs at a hotel in South Kolkata. 

Later, Ritabrata denied this allegation. Abhishek Banerjee’s attack incident increased the tension. He faced public anger when he went to Sonarpur, where eggs and shoes were pelted. Kalyan Banerjee alleged the next day that a stone had been thrown at his head. Furthermore, wherever he went, he was met with chants of “thief, thief.” Such scenes are causing political concern for every TMC MLA and MP. 

Kunal Ghosh’s Appeal: Don’t Abandon the Sinking Ship 

If more than half of the TMC’s 80 MLAs and 29 MPs (approximately 40-45 MLAs and 15-18 MPs) break away from Mamata Banerjee and approach the Election Commission for the “two grass and flowers” election symbol, it could be enough to negate Mamata Banerjee and her nephew’s claim to the party. 

On Monday, MLA Kunal Ghosh pleaded with TMC leaders with folded hands not to abandon the sinking ship, but in such difficult times, their leader doesn’t trust them to jump aboard a lifeboat. At a review meeting held after the Bengal elections, at least three elected MLAs openly opposed the party leadership. 

Speculations suggest the number of legislators in touch with the rebel camp could range between 20 and 50. The TMC won 80 MLAs in the 294-member assembly this election. 

Reports of CM Suvendu Adhikari’s likely visit to New Delhi later in the day have further intensified political speculations amid rumours of a rebellion within the TMC.