West Bengal politics: Amid the reports of a growing rift within the party, eight MLAs and six MPs met at Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee’s residence in Kolkata for a high-level party meeting on Friday.
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Who was present at the meeting?
The leaders present at the residence included MLAs Bina Mondal, Ashima Patra, Madan Mitra, Kunal Ghosh, Firhad Hakim, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Biman Banerjee, and Ashok Kumar Deb. The delegation of MPs in attendance comprised Dola Sen, Mala Roy, Kalyan Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, and Sudip Bandyopadhyay.
What happened during the meeting?
After the key meeting, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee termed the appointment of Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly as ‘illegal.’
He further announced that the party intends to move the Calcutta High Court to challenge the legality of the appointment.
Kalyan Banerjee stated that TMC leaders Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen will assist the party’s National General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, in his organisational duties. He further added that state-level leaders will provide their inputs, based on which new party committees will be constituted.
“At the state level, leaders will give suggestions, and based on those, committees will be formed. Chandrima Bhattacharya has been appointed President. Sajda Ahmed, Mamata Thakur, Nayana Bandyopadhyay and Swati Khandekar have been appointed vice presidents of West Bengal Pradesh Trinamool Congress,” said the TMC senior leader.
What is happening in TMC?
This meeting at TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee’s residence came amid a turbulent time for the party as a group of rebel MLAs, including expelled party leaders Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, who have said they have the backing of 58 legislators in the West Bengal Assembly, and rejected the party leadership’s choice of Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay for the post of LoP.
Ritabrata Banerjee also reportedly claimed that the faction had been “accepted as the principal opposition” in the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly and that the Speaker had acknowledged “our claim.”
“We want Mamata Banerjee to be our chief advisor, to give us advice that will help us in strengthening our position as the opposition. 80 members were elected by the Trinamool Congress symbol. More than two-thirds of them have given our claim, and the claim has been accepted,” he added.
Ritabrata Banerjee, who also addressed a press conference, said they were going one step at a time.
West Bengal Assembly elections 2026
The BJP has secured a historic win in the West Bengal Assembly elections, securing 207 seats. The victory brought an end to the over-a-decade-long rule of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, which won 80 seats.
(with ANI inputs)
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