Expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Ritabrata Banerjee has claimed the support of a large bloc of rebel legislators in West Bengal.
This internal conflict threatens the stability of the ruling party as it navigates leadership disputes and prepares for national coalition meetings. The rift centers on the party's internal governance and the elevation of Abhishek Banerjee.
Banerjee, who has self-declared as the Leader of Opposition, arrived at the West Bengal Legislative Assembly in Kolkata to submit signatures from rebel members [2]. While reports on the exact number of dissenting legislators vary, Banerjee claimed support from 61 rebel legislators [1]. Other reports indicate he submitted signatures of over 50 MLAs [2], while some sources place the number of rebel legislators at 58 [3].
The dissidents allege a despotic mindset within the party leadership [1, 4]. They seek a collective fight against individualism, and have expressed opposition to the leadership role of Abhishek Banerjee [4].
Some reports suggest the internal divide is complex, noting that 64 MLAs continue to back Mamata Banerjee (TMC) while simultaneously refusing to accept Abhishek Banerjee as a leader [4]. Other accounts indicate a two-thirds majority of TMC MLAs have urged Mamata Banerjee to act as a chief advisor [1].
These developments occur as Mamata Banerjee travels to New Delhi for a meeting of the INDIA bloc [3]. The timing of the rebellion highlights a period of vulnerability for the party leadership during critical national political coordination.
Banerjee said the move is a strategic step in the political landscape of West Bengal [1]. He has positioned himself as the representative of those who oppose the current direction of the party's internal hierarchy.
“Ritabrata Banerjee claimed support from 61 rebel legislators.”
The emergence of a significant rebel bloc within the TMC suggests a struggle between the established leadership and legislators who resist the party's transition toward a more centralized or dynastic structure. If Ritabrata Banerjee successfully validates the support of over 50 legislators, it could trigger a formal split or a leadership challenge that weakens the TMC's leverage within the national INDIA bloc.
