Kolkata, 3 June

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) split for the first time in its 28-year history on Wednesday as 58 dissident Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) seized control of the party's legislature wing, elected expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as its leader and secured recognition from the West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose.

Banerjee said Bose had opened the office meant for the Leader of the Opposition for him.

However, in a significant political gesture, he urged the former chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to serve as chief adviser to the newly constituted legislature team.

"We are the majority in the legislature party. According to parliamentary norms, we are the real and main opposition in the West Bengal Assembly," he said.

Banerjee further announced that a new leadership structure of the legislature party has already been submitted to the Speaker. Akhruzzaman had been appointed chief whip, while veteran legislators Javed Ahmed Khan, Sandipan Saha, Sabina Yasmin and Shiuli Saha would serve as deputy leaders.

No role for Abhishek Banerjee

At the same time, Banerjee indicated that the rebels did not recognise any role for TMC Member of Parliament (MP) Abhishek Banerjee, considered number 2 in the party organisational hierarchy, in the functioning of the legislature party.

The Mamata Banerjee camp had earlier dissolved all organisational committees of the TMC in West Bengal. The party said on X that it would undertake a "comprehensive exercise of introspection, performance review and organisational assessment at every level."

The party now faces an unprecedented challenge from within, setting the stage for a prolonged struggle over its political and organisational future.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday allowed Abhishek Banerjee to file a petition seeking protection from the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing allegations of forged signatures in the TMC's resolution for appointing MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition.

It was Ritabrata Banerjee and fellow rebel MLA Sandipan Saha who first flagged the alleged irregularities before Assembly authorities.