Expelled Trinamool Congress legislators Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha have submitted a letter asserting the backing of 60 party MLAs while reiterating their support for Mamata Banerjee as the party’s supreme leader. The document, currently signed by 58 legislators with two more signatures expected, also recommends Ritabrata Banerjee for the position of Leader of the Opposition.
The development is widely viewed as a challenge to Abhishek Banerjee’s influence within the party. Ritabrata has repeatedly accused Abhishek of operating the Trinamool Congress in a corporate-style manner. The move could place Mamata Banerjee in a difficult position, potentially forcing her to balance loyalty between her nephew and a significant section of the party’s legislative win.
Mamata Banerjee’s Big Step
Amidst this conflict, All India Trinamool Congress, led by former CM Mamata Banerjee has announced the immediate dissolution of all its committees across West Bengal, along with every affiliated frontal organisation.
After careful consideration, it has been decided that all committees of the All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, as well as all its frontal organisations, shall stand dissolved with immediate effect.
The party will undertake a comprehensive exercise of introspection,…
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 3, 2026
The party stated that it will now conduct a thorough process of introspection, performance evaluation, and organisational assessment at all levels. Based on the outcome of this exercise, a new organisational framework for both the main party and its frontal wings will be formulated and unveiled in due course.
The Trinamool Congress emphasised that the decision is aimed at strengthening the organisation and ensuring it is better equipped to face future political challenges with greater efficiency and renewed momentum.
This comes after the group of MLAs submitted a document without using the party’s official letterhead, listing Mamata Banerjee as the party leader and Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition. The proposed leadership structure also named Sheuli Saha, Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha, and Sabina Yasmin as deputy leaders in the Assembly.
Rift Within Party Rises after Election Loss
The TMC vs TMC clash began as soon as the results of the 2026 West Bengal elections were announced. Bengal for the first time, elected the Bhartiya Janta Party(BJP), which secured 208 seats and limited Mamata’s Trinamool Congress to just 80 seats.
The issue of the appointment of the leader of the opposition is the main cause of conflict between the two factions of TMC. While the Rebel MLAs have pitched the name of expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition. On the other hand, TMC’s National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday sent a fresh letter to Speaker Rathindra Bose reiterating the party’s decision to appoint Chattopadhyay as leader of the Opposition.
This conflict has led to a possible split in the party, with Ritabrata’s backed MLAs claiming to be the ‘Real TMC’, following a model similar to the Maharashtra Shiv Sena Split.
