Kolkata: The rift within the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress further escalated on Wednesday after 58 rebel party MLAs backed expelled leader for the post of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly. As the crisis deepens, parallels are increasingly being drawn between the TMC’s internal rebellion and the Shiv Sena split in Maharashtra in 2022.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Ritabrata claimed that they are the “real opposition.” However, he also urged Mamata Banerjee to play the role of their chief adviser. At the same time, he asserted that TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has no role in the state assembly. His statement clearly signaled that the revolt is more against Abhishek Banerjee and not about Mamata.
Inside Scoop:
Top TMC insiders reveal that the matter about the LoP appointment will reach court. The Speakers decision can be challenged, as the rebel faction of 59 MLAs is not original TMC.
“This is heading straight to the courts. The Speaker’s decision is being challenged because the rebel group is not the recognised TMC legislature party. Signatures from a splinter group, they argue, don’t override the official party structure,” the inside revealed.
As per the TMC source, Mamata is being forced to choose between protecting her nephew and saving the party. Sources claimed that she is under immense pressure as many long-time loyalists and even newer faces stayed away during recent damage-control efforts.
As per the sources, if the former West Bengal CM stands by her nephew, then the message will go across the state that she is blinded by her own love and did not hesitate to abandon her own party. Again, if Mamata listens to the devotees (which seems unrealistic for now), then Abhishek will have to be left politically destitute, and the chances of his going to jail will be even increased, they added.
What Ritabrata Said In His Press Briefing:
Ritabrata said that everything will be done collectively, as they are the real opposition in the state assembly. “I don’t believe in bossing, we will do everything collectively, as per parliamentary norms, we are the ‘real principal opposition,” he added.
Ritabrata also said that his party leaders will oppose the West Bengal government if its policies are not right and not just for the sake of opposing.
“Will oppose Bengal government policies we think are not right, but won’t oppose for the sake of opposing,” he stated.
He also claimed that the faction of MLAs who supported him was given the TMC symbol. “We claimed that TMC legislature party belongs to these MLAs, the Speaker has accepted it and we have won on party symbol,” Ritabrata claimed.
TMC ‘Signature Row’
The development comes following the controversial signature-forgery row linked to the appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the assembly. TMC leaders Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha claimed that their signatures had been forged on the letter submitted to the Speaker in support of the appointment.
Mamata Camp’s Reaction:
In response to the rebel MLAs move to back Ritabrata as the LoP, the Mamata Banerjee camp dissolved all organisational committees of the in West Bengal amid a deepening power struggle.
The rebel faction, spearheaded by Ritabrata Banerjee and MLA Sandipan Saha, who has also been expelled, handed over letters of support endorsed by 58 legislators to Speaker Rathindra Bose.
According to the anti-defection law, a splinter group must secure the backing of at least two-thirds of a legislature party’s members to escape disqualification. In the case of the TMC, which has 80 MLAs in the Assembly, this means the faction needs the support of a minimum of 54 legislators.
Several senior TMC MLAs, among them Samar Mukhopadhyay, Arup Roy, Rathin Ghosh, Javed Khan, and Prasun Banerjee, joined the rebel faction’s display of strength.