TMC leader Derek O'Brien. File picture
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Facing a rebellion from the majority of party legislators, the Trinamool Congress leadership on Friday (June 5, 2026) appointed two new national joint secretaries during the party’s national working committee meetingDerek O’Brien and Dola Sen have been appointed as two new national joint secretaries of the party and will assist national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.Most of the anger in the party, which has resulted in a rebellion of party MLAs, is directed at Abhishek Banerjee, and by creating the new posts of national joint secretary, party chairperson Mamata Banerjee has tried to assuage the anger.The party has reconstituted the West Bengal Pradesh Trinamool Congress Committee, and Chandrima Bhattacharya has been appointed as new State president.“Sajda Ahmed, Mamata Thakur, Nayana Bandyopadhyay and Swati Khandekar appointed vice presidents of West Bengal Pradesh Trinamool Congress. The State General Secretaries appointed are - Babar Ali, Pulak Roy, Ashima Patra, Aroop Biswas and Rajib Banerjee,” a party spokesperson said.It is not only the rebellion of 58 MLAs who have supported in selecting new Leader of Opposition, but several leaders of the party quitting their posts in civic bodiest. Two loyalists of Mamata Banerjee Firhad Hakim and Krishna Chakraborty have quit as the post of mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation.There is a growing anger among the people against local level Trinamool functionaries and over a hundred of them have been arrested.58 out of the 80 MLAs of the rebel camp of Trinamool Congress has chosen, a relatively young Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee (47) as Leader of Opposition 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 Ritabarta Banerjee and Sandipan Saha alleged that their signatures were forged and ended up being expelled from the party. An FIR has been registered on the basis of complaint of the expelled MLAs and investigation has reached the doorstep of Abhishek Banerjee who had signed the letter.Mr. Banerjee, on Friday (June 5, 2026) approached the Calcutta High Court seeking protection in connection with the alleged signature forgery case in the Legislative Assembly. Although lawyers representing the Trinamool leader requested an urgent hearing, the Bench of Justice Chaitali Chatterjee Das said that the hearing of the matter would take place next Wednesday, June 10.Amidst the rebellion in the legislature party, Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Friday said he has not spoken to any MP of Trinamool Congress in the last seven days and, therefore, does not know what they will do in future. Party MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy have already started airing their differences with Mamata Banerjee. Published - June 06, 2026 02:20 am IST
