TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI
A day after 58 MLAs of the Trinamool Congress signed a letter nominating expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, defying party chairperson Mamata Banerjee, some of the rebel MLAs on Thursday (June 4, 2026) were seen warming to the former Chief Minister.About 20 of the rebel MLAs met in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and a few of them said that Ms. Banerjee remains their “supreme leader”.Speaking to the media after being appointed LoP, Mr. Ritabrata had said on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) that he wants Ms. Banerjee as the “chief advisor” of the Trinamool Congress Legislature party.“Mamata Banerjee is the supreme leader not advisor,” Trinamool MLA from Panchla, Gulshan Mullick, said.Sangita Roy Basunia, the Trinamool MLA from Sitai, spoke in a similar vein and said that Ms. Banerjee remains the undisputed leader of the party.The rebel Trinamool camp has chosen a relatively young LoP in Mr. Ritabrata – who rose up the ranks as a student leader of the Student Federation of India, the student wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist) – instead of a ten-time MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, 82. A letter nominating Mr. Chattopadhyay as the LoP was submitted to the Speaker of West Bengal Assembly on May 20, but MLAs Mr. Ritabarta and Sandipan Saha alleged that their signatures were forged following which they were expelled from the party.An FIR was registered on the basis of the complaint of the expelled MLAs, and the investigation reached the doorstep of Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee who had signed the letter.“An idea of Trinamool Congress without Mamata Banerjee is not a feasible idea. The rebellion is more directed towards Abhishek Banerjee than Mamata Banerjee,” a senior Trinamool Congress leader said.Ms. Banerjee loyalist and Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh raised questions on why the letter submitted in favour of Mr. Ritabrata to the Speaker with signatures of the 58 MLAs is not being shown.“Those who went beyond the party’s decision and wrote a letter to the Speaker taking the Opposition leader along — where is that letter submitted by those worshippers of transparency? Why isn’t it coming forward? Why is the list of signatories kept secret? What’s with all the hiding,” he asked.MPs unitedWhile the split in the Trinamool legislature party has come out in the open, there is no sign of split among MPs. Trinamool is the second largest Opposition party with 42 MPs in both the Houses of Parliament.Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra pointed out that the rebel MLAs won their seats entirely under the leadership and name of Ms. Banerjee, securing votes that were anti-BJP. She noted that the Trinamool secured 41% of the vote under the party’s symbol.Challenging the claim of independence made by the rebel MLAs, Ms. Moitra said they cannot claim they are free. She dared them to resign from their seats and fight elections fresh under what she mockingly termed the “Bijemool (half-BJP and half-Trinamool)” symbol.Ms. Banerjee has maintained a silence over the rebellion in the Trinamool legislature party. On Wednesday (June 3, 2026), she held a meeting with Mr. Abhishek and on Thursday (June 3, 2026) visited the Kalighat temple. Published - June 04, 2026 10:58 pm IST
