Saurabh Mukherjee
A dramatic shift in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislature party unfolded on Wednesday (June 3) as expelled party leader Ritabrata Banerjee was recognised as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly after securing the backing of a majority of the party’s elected legislators.
According to reports, the Speaker accepted a letter signed by 58 MLAs supporting Banerjee's claim. Two additional legislators are also understood to be aligned with the group but are currently outside the state and have yet to formally record their support.
Addressing a press conference, Banerjee said the rebel faction now represented the majority within the legislature party.
“The TMC legislative party is a team of 58 MLAs who won on the TMC symbol. Two other MLAs are likely to join us. Once they formally extend their support, our strength will rise further,” he said.
He added that the Speaker had approved the revised composition of the legislature party and that the office earmarked for the Leader of the Opposition had been allocated to him.
The dissident camp also announced a new leadership structure within the legislature party. Banerjee said Akhruzzaman had been appointed chief whip, while Javed Ahmed Khan, Sandeepan Saha, Sabina Yasmin and Shiuli Saha would serve as deputy leaders.
"The letters communicating these appointments have already been submitted to the Speaker," he said.
Despite the intensifying split within the party, Banerjee appealed to TMC supremo and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee to continue playing a guiding role.
"We would request Mamata Banerjee to play the role of the chief adviser of the legislative party," he added.
At the same time, he indicated that the rebel faction currently had little political engagement with Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee.
The latest development follows a controversy over the appointment of senior MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition. Questions were raised after allegations surfaced that signatures of several legislators had been forged on documents submitted to support Chattopadhyay’s candidature.
Ritabrata Banerjee and MLA Sandeepan Saha had publicly challenged the authenticity of those signatures, prompting the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to launch an inquiry into the matter. The Trinamool Congress subsequently expelled both leaders from the party.
Earlier, senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh had criticised the dissident camp, arguing that internal differences could have been resolved within the organisation and accusing the rebels of "backstabbing" the party during a difficult political phase.
The recognition of Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition marks a significant escalation in the internal crisis within the Trinamool Congress and signals a major realignment within the party’s legislative wing.
According to reports, the Speaker accepted a letter signed by 58 MLAs supporting Banerjee's claim. Two additional legislators are also understood to be aligned with the group but are currently outside the state and have yet to formally record their support.
Addressing a press conference, Banerjee said the rebel faction now represented the majority within the legislature party.
“The TMC legislative party is a team of 58 MLAs who won on the TMC symbol. Two other MLAs are likely to join us. Once they formally extend their support, our strength will rise further,” he said.
He added that the Speaker had approved the revised composition of the legislature party and that the office earmarked for the Leader of the Opposition had been allocated to him.
The dissident camp also announced a new leadership structure within the legislature party. Banerjee said Akhruzzaman had been appointed chief whip, while Javed Ahmed Khan, Sandeepan Saha, Sabina Yasmin and Shiuli Saha would serve as deputy leaders.
"The letters communicating these appointments have already been submitted to the Speaker," he said.
Despite the intensifying split within the party, Banerjee appealed to TMC supremo and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee to continue playing a guiding role.
"We would request Mamata Banerjee to play the role of the chief adviser of the legislative party," he added.
At the same time, he indicated that the rebel faction currently had little political engagement with Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee.
The latest development follows a controversy over the appointment of senior MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition. Questions were raised after allegations surfaced that signatures of several legislators had been forged on documents submitted to support Chattopadhyay’s candidature.
Ritabrata Banerjee and MLA Sandeepan Saha had publicly challenged the authenticity of those signatures, prompting the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to launch an inquiry into the matter. The Trinamool Congress subsequently expelled both leaders from the party.
Earlier, senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh had criticised the dissident camp, arguing that internal differences could have been resolved within the organisation and accusing the rebels of "backstabbing" the party during a difficult political phase.
The recognition of Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition marks a significant escalation in the internal crisis within the Trinamool Congress and signals a major realignment within the party’s legislative wing.
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