TMC splits for first time in 28 years, rebels tell Abhishek Banerjee: ‘You have no role’

The split within the Trinamool Congress deepened on Wednesday after expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee declared that party MP Abhishek Banerjee would have “absolutely no role” in the legislature wing now controlled by rebel MLAs.

Earlier today, 58 dissident TMC legislators seized control of the party’s legislature wing. They elected Ritabrata as their leader and secured recognition from West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose, marking the first split in the party’s 28-year history.

Addressing reporters after meeting the Speaker, Ritabrata drew a sharp distinction between the rebel camp and Abhishek Banerjee, who has long been considered the second-most influential figure in the party after TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.

“Abhishek Banerjee will have absolutely no role in it. Neither our legislative party nor the party organisation has any connection whatsoever with him. Nor does the public have any connection with him. The people of Bengal have absolutely no connection with him,” Ritabrata said during a press briefing. “If there were a connection, he wouldn’t have remained in hiding for 26 days. He would have stepped out.”

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Escalating his attack, Ritabrata referred to a previous controversy involving the TMC MP and questioned his claims of public support. “He was beaten just as thieves are beaten. After getting beaten, he made a statement claiming that since the public was on his side, the public itself would arrange for his security. On that day, after being beaten like a thief, Abhishek Banerjee had declared that the public would protect him. Yet, it was observed that he had submitted a letter to the Central Government requesting an enhancement of his security.”

Ritabrata said the rebel group enjoyed the support of a two-thirds majority of the TMC’s 80 MLAs and had been recognised by the Speaker as the principal opposition in the Assembly. “Our claim has been accepted by the Speaker,” he said.

Claiming legitimacy on the basis of numbers, Ritabrata added: “The TMC legislative party is a team of 58 MLAs who won on the TMC symbol.”

He said two more legislators had conveyed their support and were expected to join the camp, taking the rebel tally even higher.

The Speaker’s decision also paved the way for Ritabrata to take charge as Leader of the Opposition. He said the office designated for the post had been opened for him and that the new leadership structure of the legislature party had already been communicated to Assembly authorities.

Akhruzzaman was named chief whip, while Javed Ahmed Khan, Sandipan Saha, Sabina Yasmin and Shiuli Saha were appointed deputy leaders. 

Despite leading the rebellion, Ritabrata sought to project the movement as one directed against sections of the party leadership rather than against Mamata Banerjee herself. “We would request Mamata Banerjee to play the role of the chief adviser of the legislative party,” he said.

Ritabrata repeatedly argued that the rebel faction represented the legitimate Trinamool presence inside the Assembly. “We are the majority in the legislature party. According to parliamentary norms, we are the real and main opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.”

The rebellion grew out of a dispute over a proposal sent to the Speaker seeking recognition of senior TMC MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition. Allegations that signatures of several MLAs had been forged triggered an FIR and a CID probe, eventually escalating into a battle for control of the legislature party.

On Monday, the TMC expelled Ritabrata and fellow rebel Sandipan Saha. Two days later, the dissident camp secured recognition from the Speaker and formally challenged the authority of the party’s organisational leadership.