Trinamool Congress Minority Cell Chief Mosaraf Hossain Resigns, Joins Rebel Faction

Mosaraf Hossain, the president of the Trinamool Congress's minority cell and MLA from Itahar in Uttar Dinajpur district, has resigned from the party and joined the rebel group led by Ritabrata Banerjee in the West Bengal Assembly. The development was announced on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at Hossain's residence in the Jaihat Checkpost area.

Hossain stated that he submitted his resignation letter to party chief Mamata Banerjee, citing family issues. “My mother is not well. I just returned from Mecca after celebrating Haj. I can’t even attend the Assembly sessions regularly due to her health condition. I need to be with her all the time. It is not possible for me to attend the Assembly session regularly. In such a situation at home, therefore, I have decided to resign,” he told reporters.

However, Hossain acknowledged that he has been in regular contact with Ritabrata Banerjee, who was expelled from the Trinamool Congress and now serves as the Leader of the Opposition with support from at least 60 rebel legislators. “Since the government has changed, it has not been possible to work like I used to do earlier. I have extended my support to Mr. Ritabrata Banerjee for the sake of the people of my constituency and their development,” Hossain added.

Hossain also praised Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, noting that Adhikari had once served as an observer in Uttar Dinajpur during his tenure with the Trinamool Congress. “I developed a wonderful relationship with him since then. My only target is the development of my area. I want to take part in all his development works in the future,” Hossain said.

The resignation comes despite Hossain being retained as president of the minority cell in a party reorganisation on June 5, two days after at least 59 Trinamool Congress MLAs rebelled and backed Ritabrata Banerjee as the new Leader of the Opposition, replacing Sobhandeb Chattopadhyaya. Hossain, a 45-year-old leader, was first elected from Itahar in the 2021 Assembly election after the party dropped sitting two-time MLA Amal Acharya. He retained the seat in the 2026 election.

The political realignment occurs during the ongoing Assembly session that began on Friday. Since the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government came to power, several Trinamool Congress legislators, including 20 MPs, have rebelled against the party, accusing national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee of neglecting senior leaders. Earlier, three Rajya Sabha members—Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Barik—resigned from their parliamentary and organisational roles. Additionally, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, Bidhannagar Mayor Krishna Chakraborty, Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb, and former minister Jyotipriya Mallick have also resigned from their positions.