rebel-camp-claims-control-of-tmc-mamata-removed-as-chairperson

In a dramatic political development, a rebel faction within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday claimed to have taken control of the party, announcing the removal of party founder Mamata Banerjee as chairperson and the suspension of her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

 

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting held at a hotel in New Town, where around 60 MLAs and nearly 70 councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation were present. Senior leader and MLA from Central Howrah, Arup Roy, was elected as the new chairperson of the TMC.

 

Addressing the gathering, faction leader Ritabrata Banerjee, who also serves as Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, cited a “constitutional crisis” within the party as the reason for the overhaul. He pointed out that under Article 20 of the party constitution, a National Working Committee must be constituted every three years, a requirement he said was subject to scrutiny by the Election Commission.

 

Ritabrata said the last National Working Committee was formed on February 12, 2022, and no new committee had been constituted since then, prompting what he described as necessary organisational restructuring.

 

He outlined a three-tier process for forming a 30-member National Working Committee, beginning with an initial group of 10 members who would select the remaining members.

 

Within a short span, the committee was reportedly formed, with names including Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Biplab Mitra, Akhruzzaman Ansari, Sabina Yasmin, Sandipan Saha, Rathin Ghosh, and Ritabrata Banerjee himself.

 

Following this, a resolution was passed through a voice vote to remove Mamata Banerjee as chairperson and appoint Arup Roy in her place. A separate decision was taken to suspend Abhishek Banerjee from the party.

 

After assuming charge, Arup Roy addressed the gathering. The meeting also announced key organisational appointments, including Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Rathin Ghosh and Sabina Yasmin as state vice-presidents.

 

Ritabrata, Javed Khan and Sandipan Saha were named general secretaries, while Akhruzzaman Ansari was appointed treasurer. He also announced that an auditor would be appointed to examine alleged irregularities in the party’s financial records.

 

The developments mark a significant internal churn within the TMC, potentially reshaping its leadership structure in the coming days.