After the defeat in the assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee Trinamool Congress is in trouble. Who will have control over party symbols, funds and party office? On Monday afternoon, Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Kalighat Trinamool’ and Ritabrata Banerjee’s ‘Asli’ Trinamool will submit their documents at the Election Commission office in Delhi. After hearing the initial arguments of the opposing groups last week, the Election Commission has asked both the parties to submit documents, organizational records and evidence of support by 5.30 pm on July 6.
At the center of the feud is the future of the party’s famous grass and flower symbols, its organizational assets, finances and headquarters, all of which have become the subject of each other’s claims following the growing insurgency that rocked the party following its defeat in the assembly elections.
Where Mamata Banerjee The Kalighat faction, led by , is expected to rely on organizational continuity and the early legacy of the party. At the same time, the rebel group is counting on its numbers in the assembly and elected representation.
Rebellion in TMC legislature party after defeat
The clash comes amid one of the most dramatic political breakdowns West Bengal has seen in recent decades. The crisis began as a rebellion in the legislature party, but has since turned into a full-blown organizational challenge. Last month, the angry faction called a special session, elected senior MLA Arup Roy as chairperson and launched a parallel national leadership structure, arguing that the party’s current leadership had lost the trust of most of its elected representatives.
The rebels first showed their strength when 58 out of 80 TMC MLAs supported Ritabrata Banerjee’s claim for the post of Leader of the Opposition, rejecting the candidate supported by the party leadership. This group now claims the support of about 65 MLAs.
21 TMC MPs join NCPI
Subsequently, 21 Lok Sabha MPs led by MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar later joined hands with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), significantly weakening Mamata Banerjee’s parliamentary position.
This organizational battle took a new and dramatic turn on Friday when the rebel group took over the party headquarters, Trinamool Bhawan in Kolkata, changed the locks, put up new posters and announced that they would work from here from now on.
The step was taken after the rebel group met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and two election commissioners in New Delhi to stake their claim on the party’s leadership, symbols, organizational structure and assets.
Mamata Banerjee faction has expressed strong objection to the claims of the rebels, and has said that the leaders expelled from the party cannot present their views before the Election Commission. Senior party leaders are expected to present their counter claims before the commission on Monday.
Who is the real TMC? fight begins
On Saturday, Mamata Banerjee said, “I don’t care about the party symbol, although I know they will not be able to snatch it. They will not succeed because I will reach out to the people with the symbol hanging around my neck. Many people have betrayed the party and gone away. They won only because I had signed their nomination papers. At the behest of the BJP, they have betrayed the party.”
Apparently referring to Gyanesh Kumar, Mamata Banerjee said, “But even if they use ‘Gayab Kumar’ to snatch the party symbol, they will not be able to suppress my voice. People can go, but an institution does not end.” Meanwhile, the rebel group expressed confidence that this dispute will ultimately be resolved through “majority test”.
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