The political battle within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) intensified on Thursday after a group of rebel legislators approached the Election Commission in New Delhi, seeking official recognition as the legitimate leadership of the party and staking a claim over its name and election symbol.
The delegation, comprising around 10 MLAs, was led by Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee. The faction has claimed that it enjoys the support of 64 MLAs and has urged the Election Commission to consider its claim while deciding the future of the party’s organisational control.
Following the meeting, Ritabrata Banerjee said the delegation had presented documents and supporting material before the poll panel. According to him, Election Commission officials heard their submissions and assured them that the matter would be examined before an appropriate decision is taken.
He also said the group had already submitted written representations in both Kolkata and New Delhi before appearing before the Commission.
The rebel camp maintained that its movement was aimed at challenging what it described as nepotism and personality-centric politics within the organisation. The faction also claimed it was working to end what it referred to as a “syndicate system” in West Bengal and announced that Arup Roy would head its group.
The dispute has added a fresh dimension to the ongoing political uncertainty within the Trinamool Congress. Last month, the rebel faction announced the formation of a separate National Working Committee consisting of 30 members, along with a 10-member sub-committee to manage organisational affairs.
The group also announced that it had removed Mamata Banerjee as the party’s national chairperson and named Arup Roy as her replacement. It further declared that Abhishek Banerjee had been removed from the party.
The claims have been strongly rejected by the Trinamool Congress leadership. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dismissed the rebel group’s actions, stating that the individual expelled from the party had no authority to convene a special session. He also maintained that Mamata Banerjee continues to be the recognised party chief and described the rebels’ meeting as a “comedy show.”
The Election Commission has now received submissions from both factions, including details of their respective office-bearers and organisational structures. The poll panel is expected to scrutinise the documents before deciding on the competing claims over the party’s leadership, name and election symbol.
