TMC splits as 58 MLAs revolt; Ritabrata Banerjee elected LoP

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) split for the first time in its 28-year history on Wednesday (June 3) as 58 rebel MLAs seized control of the party's legislature wing, elected expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as its leader and secured recognition from the West Bengal Assembly Speaker.

Banerjee, however, sought to temper the rebellion by urging the former chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to serve as chief adviser to the newly constituted legislature team, even as the dissidents declared themselves the "real" Trinamool Congress in the Assembly.

The dramatic development marked the culmination of a revolt that began with allegations of forged signatures on a letter proposing a Leader of Opposition and snowballed into an open challenge to the party leadership following the TMC's defeat at the hands of the BJP in the assembly elections.

Speaker accepts new faction

Addressing a press conference in the Assembly after meeting Speaker Rathindra Bose, Ritabrata Banerjee claimed that the dissident camp enjoyed the support of a two-thirds majority of the TMC's 80 MLAs and had formally staked its claim to lead the legislature party.

"Our claim has been accepted by the Speaker," Banerjee said. Claiming legitimacy based on numbers, he asserted that the dissident faction now represented the true opposition in the House.

"The TMC legislative party is a team of 58 MLAs who won on the TMC symbol," he said.

Banerjee said two more legislators, currently outside the state, had conveyed their support and were expected to formally join the camp soon.

The rebel leader said the Speaker had accepted the new composition of the legislature party and opened the office meant for the Leader of the Opposition for him.

The dissident camp also unveiled a new leadership structure.

Mamta appoints chief whip

Banerjee announced that Akhruzzaman had been appointed chief whip, while veteran legislators Javed Ahmed Khan, Sandipan Saha, Sabina Yasmin and Shiuli Saha would serve as deputy leaders of the legislature party. He said the letters communicating the appointments had already been submitted to the Speaker.

Seeking to establish the rebellion's legitimacy, Banerjee repeatedly invoked parliamentary conventions and the numerical strength of his camp.

"We are the majority in the legislature party. According to parliamentary norms, we are the real and main opposition in the West Bengal Assembly," he said.

In a significant political gesture, the expelled leader appealed to Mamata Banerjee to guide the legislative party despite the revolt against her organisational leadership.

"We would request Mamata Banerjee to play the role of the chief adviser of the legislative party," he said.

At the same time, Banerjee drew a distinction between the dissident camp and the party's organisational command, indicating that the rebels did not recognise any role for TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, considered number 2 in the party hierarchy, in the functioning of the legislature party.

Mamata dissolves party committees

Meanwhile, the TMC dissolved all of its organisational committees in West Bengal and announced a comprehensive review of the party structure. In a statement posted on X, the TMC said that all committees of the party in West Bengal, as well as all of its frontal organisations, stood dissolved with immediate effect.

"After careful consideration, it has been decided that all committees of the All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, as well as all its frontal organisations, shall stand dissolved with immediate effect," the party said.

The party, however, did not elaborate on the reasons behind the decision.

What anti-defection law says