Blurb: The faction announced plans for new committees, intensifying its organisational challenge against the party leadership.
Kolkata
The rebel faction within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, is set to announce its state and district committees in West Bengal on Saturday, marking another significant step in its ongoing organisational battle with the party’s official leadership.
The development comes amid an escalating internal power struggle, with the dissident group claiming to represent the real Trinamool Congress.
The announcement follows the faction’s decision last month to constitute its national working committee, during which senior legislator Arup Roy was named the national spokesperson in place of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Political observers view the latest move as part of a broader strategy by the rebel camp to strengthen its organisational structure and reinforce its claim over the party’s identity.
According to political analysts, the formation of state and district committees is expected to bolster the faction’s argument before the Election Commission of India regarding its claim to the Trinamool Congress name, election symbol, and party assets.
The dissident group has already approached the Election Commission, asserting that it represents the majority of the party’s legislators in the West Bengal Assembly and therefore has a stronger claim to the organisation’s official identity.
Observers believe that establishing a complete organisational framework, beginning with the national working committee and extending to state and district units, will help the rebel camp demonstrate that it functions as a structured political organisation rather than a loose grouping of dissident legislators. Such organisational expansion could become an important factor if the dispute over the party’s name and symbol reaches a formal adjudication.
At present, the Trinamool Congress has 80 legislators in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. According to the rebel faction, 60 legislators are aligned with its camp, while only 20 remain with the faction led by Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. These claims have further intensified speculation regarding the future political direction of the party.
The rebel faction began a two-day meeting of its national working committee on Friday. The conference is scheduled to conclude on Saturday with the formal announcement of office-bearers for the newly constituted state and district committees across West Bengal. Party leaders from the dissident camp are expected to outline their organisational roadmap during the concluding session.
The political developments come at a time when the original Trinamool Congress leadership is reportedly facing financial challenges. Debit restrictions have been imposed on 15 bank accounts linked to the party, involving deposits estimated at around Rs 1,000 crore. These restrictions have reportedly affected the party’s ability to meet routine organisational and operational expenses.