Rebel Trinamool Faction Led by Ritabrata Banerjee Seizes Control of Kolkata Headquarters

The rebel faction led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee took control of the Trinamool Congress headquarters Trinamool Bhawan on the EM Bypass in Kolkata on Friday, July 3, 2026. The faction changed the building locks, put up fresh posters and declared it would operate from the premises starting Saturday.

The takeover occurred exactly 24 hours after the dissident camp appeared before the Election Commission's full bench in New Delhi. The faction staked its claim over the party name, symbol and organisational structure, PTI reported.

"We are the Trinamool Congress, and this office belongs to the Trinamool Congress. This office has an emotional connection with the party. The agreement with the owner has been finalised, and all organisational work will be conducted from here," party treasurer Akhruzzaman said. "We are the Trinamool Congress. This is our headquarters," Banerjee said.

The Headquarters Takeover

Banerjee was accompanied by senior rebel leaders Firhad Hakim, Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha and Akhruzzaman. The Metropolitan locality office has served as the operational headquarters since 2022 during the reconstruction of the original headquarters.

New posters outside the building do not feature Mamata. They instead identify senior MLA Arup Roy as the party chairperson. Existing photographs and cut-outs of Mamata inside the premises were left untouched.

The building is owned by businessman Manotosh Saha of Modern Decorating. His relations with the Mamata camp deteriorated after the assembly elections. Saha has publicly maintained that despite repeated requests, the party had not vacated the premises, PTI reported.

Dissidents claim the takeover followed consultations with the owner. Akhruzzaman said the agreement with the owner has been finalised.

Mamata Camp Reacts

Senior leader Kunal Ghosh reached the office but was locked out. Pragati Maidan police and central forces were deployed to prevent clashes. The Mamata faction lodged a police complaint alleging forceful occupation of the party office. The Mamata camp alleged that the takeover had been carried out with the tacit support of the state administration and police, a charge rejected by the dissidents, PTI reported.

"We will never break the lock and enter. The entire matter will be reported to Mamata and the party leadership," Ghosh said. Describing the episode as "unfortunate," Ghosh accused the dissidents of attempting to create confusion within the party. "Those who are making these claims did not win as independents. Workers are hurt by such actions. We will not indulge in any irresponsible conduct," he said.

Ghosh said the TMC had a valid agreement with the building owner until 2027.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra posted on X: "BJP’s B team with security guards will never be able to steal @AITCofficial ‘s real treasure - Didi."

Battle for Legitimacy

The Election Commission directed both factions to submit documents and counter-claims regarding organisational elections and control by 5.30 pm on July 6.

The rebellion began when 58 of 80 TMC MLAs backed Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition over the leadership nominee. Rebels now claim the support of around 65 legislators. Last month, the dissident camp formally elected Roy as chairperson, creating a parallel national hierarchy.

20 of the party's 28 Lok Sabha MPs broke away, aligned with the BJP-led NDA and merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).

No formal Tenth Schedule disqualification petitions have been filed against Banerjee or the rebel MLAs in the state assembly, as per news reports. The Mamata faction instead challenged his appointment in the Calcutta High Court.

The Mamata faction has actively pursued disqualification petitions against the 20 rebel Lok Sabha MPs before Speaker Om Birla.