New Delhi: A fresh chapter has unfolded in the ongoing leadership battle within the Trinamool Congress, with Mamata Banerjee moving swiftly to reaffirm her authority after a rebel faction announced her removal as party president.
According to sources, Mamata Banerjee submitted a newly constituted National Working Committee list to the Election Commission of India on Monday, with the document naming her as Chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress. The move is being viewed as a clear assertion of her continued control over the party’s official structure and organisation.
The development came just a day after a rival group led by Ritabrata Banerjee declared that Mamata Banerjee had been removed from the top post. The rebel camp convened a meeting at a hotel in Kolkata, where it unveiled its own leadership structure and claimed to represent the legitimate organisational wing of the Trinamool Congress.
The rebel faction announced a 30 member National Working Committee and an All India Trinamool Congress Committee. Senior leader Arup Roy was named Chairperson, while Firhad Hakim and Arup Biswas were among those assigned prominent roles in the new setup. The group maintained that the leadership changes were approved unanimously by party delegates attending the session.
The latest developments also highlighted growing divisions within the party, with several experienced leaders joining the rebel camp. Firhad Hakim and Arup Biswas, both long regarded as close associates of Mamata Banerjee, participated in the meeting and publicly aligned themselves with the dissident group.
Despite the challenge, the official Trinamool leadership has responded firmly. Show cause notices have been issued to several senior leaders accused of engaging in activities deemed contrary to party interests. Those receiving notices include Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Arup Roy, Rathin Ghosh, Javed Khan, Biplab Mitra, Snehasis Chakraborty and Sabina Yasmin.
With both factions claiming legitimacy and seeking organisational recognition, the battle for control of the Trinamool Congress appears set to intensify in the coming days.
