Kolkata: The leadership dispute within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) escalated on Tuesday as Mamata Banerjee formally submitting the party’s official office-bearers list to the Election Commission, even as a breakaway group on Monday proclaimed former minister Arup Roy its chairperson.
The rival claims have pushed the party into a fresh organisational and legal confrontation, with both sides seeking formal recognition as the rightful TMC. Control over party offices, the symbol and the national working committee are central to the unfolding tussle, as reported by The Statesman.
Mamata’s List To EC
The document submitted to the Election Commission, reflecting the party’s structure as on June 20, retains Mamata Banerjee as Trinamool Congress chairperson. It names Subrata Bakshi as vice-president, Abhishek Banerjee as national general secretary, Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen as joint secretaries, and Subhasish Chakraborty as treasurer. The filing also includes a 24-member National Working Committee.
Parallel Leadership Announced
A day earlier, a rebel group led by Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Ritabrata Banerjee held a special session and announced a separate leadership line-up. Addressing reporters, Ritabrata said the meeting had unanimously elected delegates to form an All India Trinamool Congress committee and a 30-member National Working Committee, selecting Arup Roy as chairperson.
He listed senior leaders including Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Rathin Ghosh, Sabina Yasmin, Javed Khan and Sandipan Saha among the new committee; Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Rathin Ghosh and Sabina Yasmin were named vice-presidents. Ritabrata said the group would also appoint district presidents and set up district committees.
Rebels Want Mamata As Mentor
Despite staking a claim to formal control, the rebel faction said it was seeking to retain Mamata Banerjee’s association with the party in an advisory role. “We want ‘Didi’ to assume the responsibility of a mentor and guide us,” Ritabrata told reporters.
The split follows an uprising by at least 58 of the party’s 80 MLAs, who have reportedly distanced themselves from the current leadership and formed a separate camp. The dissidents later endorsed Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition in place of Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.
Disciplinary Action & Accusations
In response, the TMC disciplinary committee issued show-cause notices to several senior figures linked to the breakaway move, including Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Arup Roy, Javed Khan, Rathin Ghosh, Biplab Mitra, Snehasis Chakraborty and Sabina Yasmin. The notices accuse them of deliberate anti-party activity.
Political Reactions
BJP state leader Dilip Ghosh derided the infighting, calling the developments “a drama” and questioning the legitimacy of the rival claims. He said the dispute mattered little to ordinary Bengalis and contrasted the ruling BJP’s governance record with the TMC’s, accusing the latter of failing to maintain law and order.
TMC Power Tussle Deepens
With competing organisational lists now on public record, the dispute is likely to move into legal and administrative arenas, centred on which faction the Election Commission recognises as the party’s legitimate leadership and which group will control the TMC symbol and apparatus.
