TMC factionalism deepens: Mamata camp seeks Madan Mitra as chief whip after Firhad Hakim joins rebels

Kolkata, June 23: The internal conflict within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) escalated late Monday when the faction led by Mamata Banerjee formally requested the removal of Firhad Hakim as the party's chief whip in the West Bengal Assembly and proposed Madan Mitra as his replacement. The move came hours after Mr. Hakim, a former Kolkata mayor, was show-caused for joining the dissident faction headed by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee.

According to sources in the Mamata Banerjee camp, an official email was sent to Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose around 10:45 p.m. on Monday stating that Mr. Hakim should no longer be recognised as the chief whip and requesting that Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra be appointed in his place. On Tuesday morning, senior TMC leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, the party’s nominee for the post of Leader of the Opposition, submitted a hard copy of the communication to the Speaker’s office.

However, the Speaker’s office declined to act on the request, citing ongoing legal and procedural disputes arising from the split within the opposition party, sources added. The Mamata Banerjee camp argued that while the leadership of the legislature party is under judicial scrutiny, there is no legal dispute concerning the post of chief whip. There was no immediate comment from the Speaker's office.

This development marks another escalation in the confrontation between the two rival TMC factions, which are contesting control over both the party organisation and its legislative wing. Mr. Hakim, once considered one of Mamata Banerjee's closest associates, joined the dissident camp's organisational exercise and was accommodated in a parallel structure unveiled at a special session convened by the rebels in Kolkata on Monday.

Just two days earlier, the Mamata Banerjee camp revised the party's National Working Committee, dropping several leaders who had aligned with the dissidents, including Mr. Hakim and former Minister Aroop Biswas. Show-cause notices were also issued to a number of senior leaders accused of anti-party activities.

The crisis within the TMC follows its defeat in the recent assembly elections, ending its 15-year rule in West Bengal. The first major setback came when a majority of TMC MLAs backed expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee’s claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition, rejecting Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, the nominee chosen by the party high command. The rebel camp then elected TMC MLA Akhruzzaman Ansari as chief whip instead of Mr. Hakim.

Mamata Banerjee has moved the Calcutta High Court challenging the Speaker’s decision to accept Ritabrata Banerjee’s candidature as Leader of the Opposition. The conflict has since expanded beyond the legislature into the organisational structure, with rival factions announcing separate committees, staking claims to party assets, and preparing to press competing claims before election authorities.