A major split has surfaced within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), with 60 MLAs reportedly refusing to accept Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the party’s Leader of the Opposition (LoP). The rebel camp is instead supporting expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee for the post. The development has triggered a fresh political crisis in the Bengal Assembly and raised questions about the strength of Mamata Banerjee’s leadership within the party.
On Wednesday, 3rd May, Ritabrata Banerjee reached the Assembly along with several legislators, including Arup Roy, Shiuli Saha and Akhruzzaman. A joint letter carrying the signatures of 59 rebel MLAs was submitted to Speaker Rathindra Bose, proposing Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition.
The rebel camp claims it represents the “real” Trinamool Congress and says a majority of the party’s MLAs are now with them. TMC MLA Mustafizur Rahman confirmed that he had signed the letter, while Sabina Yasmin said the group would meet to formally choose the Leader of the Opposition.
With as many as 60 MLAs rejecting the leadership’s decision, Mamata Banerjee’s faction is left with the support of only 20 MLAs in the Assembly. However, the rebel faction has said that Mamata Banerjee will continue to lead the party, and names her as party president in the letter to the speaker.
With 60 out of 80 TMC MLAs in the rebel camp, if the party splits, the rebel MLAs will not lose their membership of the house under the anti-defection law, as the camp has more than two-thirds of the party’s total strength. The group can emerge as a new party or merge with an existing party.
Dispute over LoP appointment
The rebellion is linked to the controversy surrounding the selection of TMC MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition. Party MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha have claimed that signatures of several MLAs were used without their consent in the letter submitted to the Speaker in support of Chattopadhyay.
They lodged a complaint at the Assembly secretariat, after which the Assembly Secretariat registered a police case and the CID began investigating the matter. According to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, signature samples have been collected from MLAs whose names appeared on the document, and some legislators reportedly told investigators that they had not signed it.
Party dissolves all committees
In response to the massive crisis in the party, the leadership today decided to dissolve all organisational committees of the TMC in West Bengal, and announced a comprehensive exercise of introspection, performance review and organisational assessment at every level. The party posted on X, “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.”
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.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 3, 2026
The party will undertake a comprehensive exercise of introspection,…
TMC further added, “The party will undertake a comprehensive exercise of introspection, performance review and organisational assessment at every level. Based on the findings of this exercise, the organisational structure of the parent body and all frontal organisations will be reconstituted and announced in due course. The party remains committed to strengthening its organisation and preparing it to meet future challenges with renewed vigour and purpose.”
Ritabrata Banerjee expelled from TMC
Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha were expelled from the TMC on June 1 after raising objections over the LoP selection process and filing complaints with the Speaker. The party accused them of anti-party activities and revoked their membership with immediate effect. Ritabrata has also claimed that the party has been “hijacked” by political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC).
The latest developments highlight deep divisions inside the TMC, with a large section of MLAs now openly challenging Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership and rallying behind Ritabrata Banerjee.
