Trinamool Congress on the Brink: Rebel Faction Claims Majority as Party Split Looms in West Bengal
With over 50 MLAs reportedly ready to declare themselves the ‘real TMC’, Mamata Banerjee faces the gravest internal revolt in her party’s history
By NewsArc Bureau
West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress is staring at a potentially historic split, with expelled party leader Riju Datta claiming that more than 50 of the party’s 80 MLAs are preparing to break away and stake a claim to being the legitimate Trinamool Congress.
Datta has claimed the rebel legislators plan to approach the Assembly Speaker with three demands: that they represent the authentic TMC, that Ritabrata Banerjee — not Shobhandev Chatterjee — be recognised as Leader of the Opposition, and that the party’s electoral symbol rightfully belongs to them given their numerical strength.
The Numbers Game
Under the anti-defection law, as amended by the 91st Constitutional Amendment of 2003, a breakaway faction requires the support of at least two-thirds of the legislative party — meaning 54 of TMC’s 80 MLAs — to escape disqualification. Datta himself is not an MLA, which legal observers note weakens his standing to lead such a claim.
Two expelled MLAs, Sandipan Saha and Ritabrata Banerjee — both removed by Mamata on Monday after they complained to the Speaker that their signatures had been forged on a resolution appointing Shobhandev as Opposition Leader — held a meeting at the MLA hostel in Kolkata, attended by several sitting TMC legislators, including some considered close to the former Chief Minister.
Three Possible Scenarios
Political analysts outline three pathways the rebellion could take. The first involves 54 or more MLAs joining the BJP en masse, which would shield them from disqualification — though the BJP has firmly shut that door. West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said his party had reached 207 seats without inducting outsiders, and added that the “TMC-isation” of the BJP would never happen.
The second scenario involves the rebel group splitting from TMC and claiming the party name and symbol. This would require not only 54 MLAs but also a majority of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs — a considerably harder threshold. Drawing on precedents set in the Shiv Sena and NCP cases, the Election Commission would examine not just legislative numbers but also control over the party organisation, state and national executive bodies, and the party constitution.
The third possibility is that the rebel group walks out and forms an entirely new party, again requiring 54 MLAs to move simultaneously to avoid disqualification.
Twelve Days That Shook the Party
The current crisis has been building rapidly. On May 20, only 35 MLAs turned up at a TMC protest event at the state Assembly — the party’s first organised demonstration after its election defeat. On May 27, Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh resigned from all party posts after attending a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari. On May 30, senior leader Abhishek Banerjee was attacked in South Sonarpur, with eggs and sandals thrown at him. On May 31, a meeting called by Mamata herself was boycotted by 60 of 80 MLAs, effectively forcing its cancellation.
Rival Reactions
TMC’s Shobhandev Chatterjee insisted most legislators would stand by Mamata and that old-guard leaders would retain control of the organisation. Congress leader Udit Raj was blunter, saying Mamata was reaping what she had sown and questioning whether TMC could survive at all. He urged her to refocus on strengthening the INDIA bloc.
The coming days are likely to be decisive. If the rebel faction cannot muster the required numbers in the legislature and among MPs, it may be left with the Opposition Leader’s post at best — but without the party name, symbol, or organisational machinery that Mamata continues to control.
