Mamata Banerjee Faces Internal Challenge as TMC Dissidents Claim Leadership Change

A dissident faction within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has announced that it has removed Mamata Banerjee as the party's chairperson and installed a parallel leadership structure. The group, led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, claims it has secured the support of a significant number of party legislators and functionaries, including former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim.

The developments occurred on Monday, the same day the newly formed BJP government presented its first budget in the West Bengal Assembly. Shortly after, dissident TMC MLAs convened a meeting at a five-star hotel in New Town, Kolkata. According to the faction, around 500 TMC leaders attended, including sitting and former MLAs, district presidents, and councillors.

At the meeting, the dissidents announced the formation of a 30-member National Working Committee, positioning it as the legitimate organisational core of what they described as the 'real' Trinamool Congress. The faction elected MLA Arup Roy as chairperson by voice vote. Senior leaders were assigned roles: Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Rathin Ghosh, and Sabina Yasmin as vice presidents; Ritabrata Banerjee, Javed Khan, and Sandipan Saha as general secretaries; and Akhruzzaman Ansari as treasurer.

'The special session of TMC leaders and members unanimously elected Arup Roy as party chairperson,' Ritabrata Banerjee said. He claimed the proceedings followed the party's constitution and would be formally communicated to the Election Commission. 'It is not about what is real or not real. We are TMC and will inform the Election Commission about today's special session proceedings,' he said. 'We have functioned and convened this special session as per the norms. It is for the EC to decide what is wrong or right.' He added that Mamata Banerjee could serve as chief advisor if she wished.

While the TMC's party symbol was prominently displayed, notably absent were images of Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. Rebel leaders described the gathering as a response to a 'constitutional crisis' within the organisation, arguing that the party's constitution required a national working committee to be reconstituted every three years. The last such body, they said, was formed in February 2022 and not renewed after its tenure expired.

In response, the official TMC leadership initiated disciplinary proceedings against several leaders associated with the dissident camp. The party's disciplinary committee issued show-cause notices to Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Arup Roy, Javed Khan, Rathin Ghosh, Biplab Mitra, Snehasis Chakraborty, Sabina Yasmin, and others for 'deliberately indulging in anti-party activities.'