Mamata Banerjee’s TMC faces split threat as dissident MLAs back expelled legislator for LoP post

West Bengal’s opposition Trinamool Congress (TMC) appears headed for a major internal rupture, with a group of dissident legislators backing expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee in a move that could trigger a formal split in the party and reshape the opposition landscape in the state assembly.

Leaders aligned with Ritabrata claim to have secured the support of nearly 60 of the TMC’s 80 MLAs—well above the two-thirds threshold required under the anti-defection law for a legislature party split to gain recognition. The group is expected to submit a letter to Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose seeking recognition as the legitimate TMC faction in the House.

The crisis comes amid a dispute over the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition. The TMC had nominated veteran legislator Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay for the post, but the process became contentious after Ritabrata Banerjee and another MLA alleged that some signatures supporting the nomination had been forged. The Speaker subsequently declined to accept the recommendation, deepening tensions within the party.

Former chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of attempting to engineer a split in her party. Addressing supporters in Kolkata, she said efforts were being made from Delhi to weaken the TMC but vowed to resist any such move.

Ritabrata, however, has framed the rebellion as an internal struggle over the party’s direction, arguing that sections of the leadership have become disconnected from grassroots workers. Dissident leaders have also expressed dissatisfaction with the growing influence of Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, within the party.

The developments have drawn comparisons with the 2022 split in Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena, when a rebellion led by Eknath Shinde resulted in the fall of the state government and eventual recognition of his faction as the official party. A similar division later occurred within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Despite the growing revolt, TMC leaders insist that the party’s identity remains inseparable from Mamata Banerjee. Political analysts, meanwhile, argue that even if the dissidents succeed in securing legislative recognition, translating that into broader public support could prove far more difficult given Mamata’s enduring political influence in West Bengal.