'Chief Adviser And Guide': Has Mamata Lost The Trinamool Congress Party She Had Built?
'Chief Adviser And Guide': Has Mamata Lost The Trinamool Congress Party She Had Built? Published By, Last Updated: June 04, 2026, 10:23 IST West Bengal
'Chief Adviser And Guide': Has Mamata Lost The Trinamool Congress Party She Had Built? Published By, Last Updated: June 04, 2026, 10:23 IST West Bengal TMC faces major split as rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, backed by most MLAs, becomes Leader of Opposition, leaving founder Mamata Banerjee isolated Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee faces isolation within the party as power shifts to the rebel camp. (Source: PTI) The political turmoil in West Bengal is not only telling the story of a once-iconic party heading towards a split, but is also presenting the rare spectacle of a founder becoming increasingly isolated within the very organisation she built. The cracks within the Trinamool Congress became evident when 60 of its 80 MLAs skipped a meeting convened by party chief Mamata Banerjee at her residence on Sunday. The biggest turning point came on Wednesday when expelled rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee became the Leader of the Opposition after submitting signatures from 58 party MLAs backing his claim, while asserting that support from two more MLAs would follow soon. Also Read: TMC Rebellion’s Next Stop May Be Lok Sabha In Direct Challenge To Abhishek Banerjee The development effectively handed control of the party’s legislative wing to the rebel camp, which subsequently appealed to Mamata Banerjee to remain their “chief adviser" and “guide this legislative party to do constructive work inside and outside the assembly." Mamata’s isolation within the party has become even more pronounced because, after losing her Assembly seat, the leader who once presided over the House can no longer enter it as a member. The dramatic turn of events now raises a crucial question: Has Mamata Banerjee lost control of the party she built? What Triggered Mamata’s Fall Within The TMC Massive Electoral Setback Mamata Banerjee’s troubles began with the Assembly elections, where the Trinamool Congress lost power after more than a decade in office.
Also Read: As TMC Faces Headwinds, The Question Grows: Who Still Stands With Mamata? The setback was compounded by her personal defeat at the hands of Suvendu Adhikari in the Bhabanipur constituency, a seat long considered her political stronghold. The loss not only deprived her of a place in the Assembly but also weakened her authority within the party, providing space for dissenting voices to challenge her leadership in the months that followed. Constitutional Standoff Following the election, Banerjee declined to immediately step down as Chief Minister, alleging that the mandate had been “looted". The move triggered a brief constitutional impasse before her government eventually lost its majority in the Assembly. The former chief minister alleged that the BJP had “forcefully captured" the election and maintained that she would not resign, a stance that set the stage for a constitutional crisis in the state. “Why should I step down? We have not lost," she said, adding, “The mandate has been looted. Where does the question of resignation arise?" Banerjee said the TMC had been “defeated not by public mandate but by conspiracy." Rebellion Within Party Barely a month after being voted out of power in West Bengal, the TMC found itself on the brink of a split, marking a dramatic downturn for a party that secured 41% of the vote in the Assembly elections. Also Read: Can An Expelled MLA Take Over TMC? What Law Says As 58 Rebels Back Ritabrata Banerjee Signs of unrest surfaced as early as May 4, when the scale of the party’s electoral defeat became apparent. Several leaders began publicly questioning the leadership, although the discontent had yet to crystallise into an organised rebellion. The first visible crack emerged at a meeting convened by Mamata Banerjee at her residence two days later.
According to media reports, the former chief minister asked MLAs present at the gathering to rise and applaud her nephew and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, a move that reportedly did not go down well with a section of MLAs. The rebellion gathered momentum last week after Ritabrata Banerjee’s visit to Delhi, where he met Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, according to reports. Following his return, a series of meetings were held at the MLAs’ hostel and a private hotel in Kolkata, as efforts intensified to rally MLAs dissatisfied with the party leadership. The crisis deepened amid a controversy over alleged forged signatures on a letter submitted to the Speaker’s office. The TMC had proposed Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition, Nayna Bandyopadhyay and Ashima Patra as Deputy Leaders of the Opposition, and Firhad Hakim as Chief Whip. On June 1, however, Suvendu Adhikari claimed that Ritabrata Banerjee and Entally MLA Sandipan Saha had complained that their signatures were forged on the document. He further alleged that MLAs Arup Roy and Baharul Islam had told investigators that they too had not signed the letter. On Monday, the TMC expelled Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha for alleged anti-party activities and formally informed the Speaker of its decision. Amid the escalating crisis, Mamata Banerjee publicly alleged that a conspiracy had been hatched in Delhi to engineer a split in her party. The crisis reached a decisive moment on Wednesday when expelled rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee staked claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition by submitting letters of support from 58 party MLAs. He also claimed that two more MLAs were set to back him, potentially taking his support base to 60. Real Trinamool Congress Vs Trinamool Congress In the letter, the rebel camp claims to represent the “real" Trinamool Congress.
Interestingly, despite lacking the party’s official insignia, the document continues to recognise Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the faction. Amid this political whirlwind, Ritabrata referred to Mamata as the party’s “chief adviser". “We will request her to remain our chief adviser and guide this legislative party to do constructive work inside and outside the assembly. We appeal to her to recognise us as we have a two-thirds majority. But Abhishek Banerjee has no relation with this legislative party," Ritabrata said. With the party already weakened in West Bengal, speculation is now rife within the TMC that a split in its parliamentary wing could follow within the next week. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Prisha Vibhavari Prisha is the Chief Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than 10 years of experience in national and international news. She specialises in editorial leadership, sharp news judgment, and high-impact st... Read More First Published: June 04, 2026, 10:20 IST News india 'Chief Adviser And Guide': Has Mamata Lost The Trinamool Congress Party She Had Built? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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