Rebel group claims major boost by inducting Mamata loyalists including former minister Jyotipriyo Mullick and Birbhum leader Anubrata Mondol into state and district committees.
Full organisational structure announced with state president, working president, frontal wings, and eight spokespersons; national committee replaces Mamata with Arup Roy as chairperson.
Move aimed at strengthening case before Election Commission for party symbol and funds, with plans to observe July 21 Martyrs’ Day separately.
In a significant development that could complicate the ongoing power struggle within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the rebel faction led by MLA Ritabrata Banerjee has claimed a major boost by attracting several leaders considered close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
After concluding a two-day meeting at a private resort in Kolkata, the rebel group announced the formation of its state committee, district committees, and various frontal wings. The move is widely seen as a strategic step to bolster its petition before the Election Commission of India for recognition as the legitimate TMC, including control over the party symbol and financial assets.
Ritabrata Banerjee, addressing the media after the meeting, declared that the organisational structure is now in place. “Our state committee and district committees have been formed. We have nominated eight spokespersons for our party. We will also commemorate July 21 Martyrs Day near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Maidan,” he said.
Key highlights of the announcements include the induction of former Food and Forest Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick into the state committee and the appointment of former Birbhum district TMC president Anubrata Mondol as the district president for Birbhum. Both leaders have long been viewed as loyalists of Mamata Banerjee. Mullick had recently resigned from all party posts citing ill health.
Sources within the rebel camp revealed that Anubrata Mondol conveyed his consent to join over the phone, as he could not attend the meeting in person due to health reasons. “He is in touch with Ritabrata… His name has been cleared as Birbhum district president,” a senior MLA from the group was quoted as saying.
On Friday, the faction had already named Biplab Mitra as the party’s state president and Javed Ahmed Khan as state working president. It also announced office-bearers for its frontal organisations, with Sabina Yasmin appointed as Trinamool Mahila Congress state chief and Baharul Islam as president of the minority cell.
The group further reconstituted its national working committee, replacing Mamata Banerjee with senior leader Arup Roy as chairperson. “We will have to form our state committee and district committees after having the national working committee in place. That is why we held the two-day meeting. We will submit the names to the Election Commission of India,” Arup Roy stated.
Several other prominent figures from the mainstream TMC camp were also seen participating in the rebel meeting, including former Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen, former MLA Nirmal Ghosh, former minister Jyotsna Mandi, and former MLA Tajmul Hossain. Their presence has added weight to the rebels’ claim of growing internal support.
This is the latest in a series of splits and rebel activities within TMC. The Ritabrata Banerjee-led group is positioning itself as a parallel organisation with a complete structure at national, state, and district levels.
In response, the Mamata Banerjee-led official TMC camp also held its own meeting to plan the commemoration of July 21 Martyrs’ Day — a significant date in the party’s history. TMC Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee asserted the strength of the original party, saying, “Despite threats, many workers and leaders attended the meeting. It is not leaders but workers who are precious to us. In future, we will choose leaders from those who are with us.”
