Just 8 MLAs, 6 MPs at Mamata Banerjee's residence for crucial meet; party issues clarification - Moneycontrol.com

Published 5 June 2026 · india

Responding to speculation over low attendance amid an apparent rebellion, the TMC said that it was a Working Committee meeting, adding that not all MPs

Responding to speculation over low attendance amid an apparent rebellion, the TMC said that it was a Working Committee meeting, adding that not all MPs and MLAs had been invited Mamata Banerjee Only eight MLAs and six MPs attended TMC's key meeting TMC: meet was for Working Committee, not all MLAs TMC to challenge LoP appointment and alleged BJP actions in court Did our AI summary help? Signs of unease within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) persisted as only eight MLAs and six MPs attended a key party meeting at Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence, days after 60 of the party's 80 MLAs stayed away from an important huddle. Among those present were MLAs Bina Mondal, Ashima Patra, Madan Mitra, Kunal Ghosh, Firhad Hakim, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Biman Banerjee and Ashok Kumar Deb, according to news agency ANI. The MPs who attended the meeting included Dola Sen, Mala Roy, Kalyan Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O'Brien and Sudip Bandyopadhyay.

Responding to speculation over low attendance amid an apparent rebellion, the TMC said that it was a Working Committee meeting, adding that not all MPs and MLAs had been invited. "It was a Working Committee meeting and not a meeting of all MLAs or MPs. Several members, including MPs Mahua Moitra and Sushmita Dev, as well as senior leaders Mukul Sangma and Rajesh Tripathi, attended virtually," a statement issued by the party's media cell said. The party maintained that the meeting's attendance figures did not reflect the strength of support within its legislative ranks, brushing aside suggestions from dissidents that they pointed to changing political loyalties. After the meeting, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee described the appointment of Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly as "illegal" and said the party would approach the Calcutta High Court challenging the decision. "We have decided that the LoP appointed by the Speaker is illegal.

We are approaching the Court against this on Monday. We will file a petition before the High Court," Banerjee said. The TMC MP further alleged that the party would initiate legal action regarding the reported killings of TMC workers by their BJP counterparts. He also declared that the TMC will challenge the alleged registration of "false cases" against its party members. "We will fight against the manner in which the BJP is killing TMC workers and lodging false cases against them. We will fight on the streets, we will fight in Court," added Banerjee. The meeting took place against the backdrop of mounting turmoil within the TMC after a group of rebel MLAs, led by expelled leaders Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, claimed the support of 58 legislators in the West Bengal Assembly and opposed the party leadership's decision to appoint Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition. Ritabrata Banerjee later claimed that the faction had been "accepted as the principal opposition" in the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly and that the Speaker had acknowledged "our claim".