The internal battle within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) intensified on Friday (July 3) as the rebel faction led by Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee, took control of the party's state office in Kolkata and declared itself the “real Trinamool”.

The dissident camp also replaced the existing signage outside the office with a new banner naming Arup Roy as the party chairman in place of Mamata Banerjee.

The takeover of the Metropolitan office, which has functioned as the party's state headquarters since 2022 after the original Trinamool Bhavan near the EM Bypass was earmarked for reconstruction, marks a significant escalation in the tussle between the two rival camps.

Ritabrata arrived at the office along with several senior leaders, including Firhad Hakim, Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha and Akhruzzaman, and held a meeting inside the premises. Former minister and Mamata camp leader Chandrima Bhattacharya was present at the office when the rebel leaders arrived but left shortly after they entered.

The dissident faction's move came a day after its representatives met the full bench of the Election Commission of India in New Delhi to press their claim over the party's leadership and organisational structure.

The delegation, headed by Ritabrata Banerjee, met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners and presented its case before the poll panel.

The ownership and occupancy of the party office have also become contentious. Earlier, Monotosh Saha, the owner of Trinamool Bhavan, alleged that the rent agreement with the TMC had expired in 2025 and that despite repeated requests, the party had not vacated the premises even a year later.

He claimed that he had asked party leaders to hand over the building after the election results were declared but received no response.

The rebel faction, however, asserted on Friday that it had already renewed the rental agreement and that the office would continue to function as the party's headquarters under its control.

The Mamata Banerjee-led camp has strongly objected to the dissidents' actions and maintained that leaders who have been expelled from the party cannot represent it before the Election Commission or stake claim to its organisational assets.

Amid the deepening dispute, the Election Commission has written to both factions, directing them to submit their respective claims and counter-claims regarding organisational elections, authorised signatories and control of the party by 5.30 pm on July 6, setting the stage for a crucial showdown over the future leadership of the Trinamool Congress.