A major political crisis appears to be unfolding within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), as a group of dissident legislators edges closer to securing the numbers required to engineer a formal split in the party. The development has taken the party leadership by surprise. Despite being appointed Leader of the Opposition as the senior-most legislator, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay was reportedly unaware of the scale of the internal rebellion until Sunday afternoon, by which time the dissident camp had already mobilised significant support.
Operating from a separate “war room” located just a few kilometres from former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, Ritabrata Banerjee, MLA from Uluberia East, is said to have led efforts to gather signatures from party legislators backing the breakaway faction.
The first signs of trouble emerged on Sunday, when uncertainty loomed over the attendance at a legislative party meeting convened at Banerjee’s Kalighat residence. Out of 80 MLAs, even the presence of 30 was in doubt. Despite last-minute efforts and multiple phone calls by Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, only 19 legislators ultimately attended the meeting, effectively derailing it.
While the leadership grappled with the situation at Kalighat, what has been described as “Operation Joraphool” was gaining momentum elsewhere. By Sunday night, two former ministers — one from Howrah and another from North 24 Parganas — had joined the dissident camp, taking the number of supporting MLAs to around 30.
Efforts to consolidate support continued through Monday. A key moment came when members of the dissident group visited the MLA Hostel on Kid Street to secure the signature of Shiuli Saha, MLA from Keshpur. Sources indicate that negotiations with her had been underway for several days before she formally extended her support on Monday.
To trigger a split under anti-defection provisions, the dissident group needs the backing of at least two-thirds of the party’s 80 MLAs — amounting to 54 members (or 53, according to some estimates). By Monday night, the group was reportedly just four signatures short of this threshold.
Latest reports suggest that additional MLAs have begun arriving at the MLA Hostel, and the dissidents are expected to reach the required number soon, potentially by Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, the TMC leadership has launched a counter-offensive to stem the rebellion. Sources indicate that Banerjee has been reaching out directly to select legislators, particularly from minority communities, in a bid to retain their support. Sovandeb Chattopadhyay has also been actively contacting MLAs, expressing confidence that minority legislators would remain loyal to the party leadership.
However, members of the dissident camp have dismissed these claims. One MLA from the breakaway group remarked that a significant number of minority legislators, including a former minister from Kolkata, have already pledged support to the faction, suggesting that the leadership may have underestimated the scale of the revolt.
If the dissidents secure the required number of signatures, the next step is expected to unfold at the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, where the group may formally stake its claim.
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