Big Shake-Up in TMC: Mamata Banerjee Replaced? Rebel TMC MLAs Elect Arup Roy as Chairperson

The battle inside the Trinamool Congress has moved from a legislative revolt to a full organisational challenge, with the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel bloc naming senior MLA Arup Roy as chairperson of what it called the “real” TMC. The move directly contests Mamata Banerjee’s authority over the party she founded and has led for decades.

The faction also announced the suspension of national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee after setting up a parallel national working committee. The decision signals that the dissident camp is no longer limiting its challenge to Assembly leadership posts, but is now claiming control over the party’s structure, finances and constitutional legitimacy.

Rebel TMC faction claims constitutional mandate

The announcements followed a separate meeting of rebel Trinamool MLAs, councillors and former elected representatives at a five-star hotel in New Town. Those present included Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha, Asim Bose, Jui Biswas and Tarak Singh, along with representatives from Kolkata, Howrah, Murshidabad, Berhampore and other districts.

Ritabrata Banerjee, who has emerged as the face of the revolt, reportedly told the gathering that the party’s national working committee had not been reconstituted after completing its three-year tenure. The previous committee was formed in February 2022, according to the rebel camp.

“The organisational structure was not reconstituted after the expiry of its tenure. Therefore, it became necessary to initiate the process of rebuilding the party's national leadership in accordance with the constitution,” a leader present at the meeting quoted Banerjee as saying.

After his address, the gathering approved a new national working committee. Its initial members included Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Biplab Mitra, Akhruzzaman Ansari, Sabina Yasmin, Sandipan Saha, Rathin Ghosh, Javed Khan and Ritabrata Banerjee. The committee was later expanded to 30 members.

Roy, the veteran Howrah Central MLA, was then elected chairperson by voice vote. Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Rathin Ghosh and Sabina Yasmin were appointed vice-chairpersons. Ritabrata Banerjee, Javed Khan and Sandipan Saha were named general secretaries, while Akhruzzaman Ansari was appointed treasurer.

Parallel leadership deepens Trinamool crisis

The newly formed committee also resolved to appoint an independent auditor to examine the party’s financial records. That decision may become politically significant because control over party accounts, symbols and organisational documents often becomes central when rival factions claim legitimacy.

The rebel camp has argued that it represents the lawful continuation of the Trinamool Congress because, in its view, the existing leadership failed to follow internal constitutional procedures. Sources in the faction claimed that around 60 MLAs and several councillors, including many from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, attended the meeting or supported its resolutions.

The Mamata Banerjee-led camp rejected the developments and described them as theatrics. Senior leader Kunal Ghosh said the party did not attach importance to the meeting and asserted that the Trinamool Congress remained inseparable from Mamata Banerjee’s leadership.

“It is a comedy show. A man who has been expelled from the TMC is holding a special session. The matter is in the court and we believe justice will be done. We do not give any importance to such comical behaviour. TMC = Mamata Banerjee. All else is a circus,” Ghosh wrote on X.

The reference to court proceedings indicates that the dispute may eventually be tested beyond party platforms. In such battles, claims over legislative majority, party constitution, recognised office-bearers and the official symbol can all become contested issues before legal or electoral authorities.

Why the Arup Roy appointment matters

Arup Roy’s elevation gives the rebel camp a senior organisational face. Roy has long been associated with Howrah politics and is seen as an experienced legislator. By choosing him as chairperson, the faction appears to be projecting continuity rather than a complete break from the Trinamool’s old guard.

The development also comes after weeks of unrest within the party following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. The loss ended nearly 15 years of Trinamool rule in the state and triggered a wave of internal challenges across both its legislative and parliamentary wings.

Earlier, a majority of party MLAs had backed Ritabrata Banerjee’s claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition, rejecting the nominee supported by the Mamata Banerjee-led leadership. The rebel side has since claimed support from about 65 legislators in the Assembly.

The crisis has not remained confined to West Bengal. The turmoil has also reached Parliament, where at least 20 of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs broke away from the Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party and merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, while extending support to the BJP-led NDA.

For the Trinamool Congress, the immediate question is whether the rebellion remains a pressure tactic or becomes a formal split with institutional consequences. The rival claims now cover the legislature, Parliament and the party organisation, making this the most serious internal challenge Mamata Banerjee has faced within the party’s own structure.