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Trinamool Congress loyalists reject Ritabrata Banerjee as opposition leader, affirming Mamata Banerjee's authority as the party's sole head amidst organizational overhaul.
On Wednesday, June 3, loyalists within the Trinamool Congress firmly stated that an expelled leader cannot serve as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. This declaration comes as 58 Trinamool MLAs who defected to join Ritabrata Banerjee claimed their group was the principal opposition party. These defectors have designated Mr. Banerjee as their opposition leader, directly challenging the official party hierarchy.
Senior Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh criticized the 58 defectors, emphasizing that they won their seats as Trinamool candidates using the party's symbol and Ms. Mamata Banerjee’s popularity. “She has worked hard to make these MLAs win,” Mr. Ghosh noted. He argued that because Ms. Banerjee is the “original Trinamool Congress” and the “Maa of Trinamool,” an expelled member like Ritabrata Banerjee lacks the legitimacy to head the political entity. This sentiment was echoed by other senior supporters who viewed the split as a betrayal by those who chose to side against the party founder.
The conflict escalated earlier in the week when both Ritabrata Banerjee and MLA Sandipan Saha were expelled from the party on Monday due to allegations of “anti-party activities.” In response, Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee stated that those standing with Ms. Banerjee would continue to do so in the future. He warned that those who betrayed “Didi” would be judged by the people and were acting indistinguishably from the BJP. MP Dola Sen reinforced this unity, stating, “Trinamool means Ms. Mamata Banerjee and people,” while visiting Ms. Banerjee’s residence in Kalighat for a meeting.
In a significant move to curb dissent and address the aftermath of a humiliating electoral loss on May 4, the Trinamool Congress announced the dissolution of all party units across West Bengal on Wednesday. This drastic measure also extended to all frontal organizations run by the party. The party described this as a necessary step for a massive overhaul, highlighting the need for introspection and performance review at every level.
An official statement from the Trinamool Congress clarified the scope of this dissolution. “The party will undertake a comprehensive exercise of introspection, performance review and organisational assessment at every level,” the statement read. Based on the findings, the organizational structure of the parent body and all frontal organizations would be reconstituted and announced in due course. This announcement sparked rumors that the entire Trinamool Congress had been dissolved.
However, senior leader Kunal Ghosh moved quickly to clarify these misconceptions. He asserted that the party itself continues to exist and that rumors of its total dissolution were false. “The various committees of the Trinamool Congress have been dissolved, not the party itself,” Mr. Ghosh explained. He added that the party is set to reimagine its structures and will establish new committees and local bodies in the coming days.
Supporters of Mamata Banerjee remain steadfast in their loyalty. Trinamool’s Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra and other old loyalists emphasized that the party has only one leader, Ms. Mamata Banerjee. Mr. Mitra dismissed the concerns of the defectors, stating, “What others are saying is not something I concern myself with.” This unified stance from the remaining party apparatus underscores a strategic effort to consolidate power around Ms. Banerjee while simultaneously restructuring the organizational framework to prevent further internal fragmentation. The dissolution of units serves as both a punitive measure against dissent and a proactive step toward rebuilding the party’s grassroots strength, which senior leader Kalyan Banerjee identified as the true strength of the Trinamool.
The dissolution of all party units and the rejection of Ritabrata Banerjee’s leadership claim signal a critical juncture for the Trinamool Congress. By stripping the party infrastructure of its local and frontal organization heads, Ms. Mamata Banerjee is centralizing control and forcing a top-down rebuild. The loyalty shown by figures like Kunal Ghosh, Kalyan Banerjee, and Dola Sen suggests that the core base remains with Ms. Banerjee, but the exit of 58 MLAs creates a vacuum in the legislative opposition. The upcoming reconstitution of committees will likely focus on realigning local leadership with the central party command. If the introspection process reveals deep-seated issues beyond individual betrayals, the Trinamool may emerge with a more disciplined but potentially less expansive grassroots network. The long-term success of this overhaul depends on whether the new structures can effectively re-engage voters disillusioned by the recent electoral loss and stabilize the party against further defections.
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