The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing one of the biggest internal crises in its history after a rebel faction removed Mamata Banerjee as the party's chairperson and appointed senior MLA Arup Roy to the position. The move is expected to deepen the ongoing battle for control of the party. Founded by Mamata Banerjee in 1998, the TMC has largely revolved around her leadership for nearly three decades. The latest developments represent one of the most serious challenges to her authority.

The rebel faction, led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, announced the decision on Monday. The group also suspended the party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, shortly after unveiling a parallel organisational structure. This indicated that the rebellion has moved beyond the legislative wing and into the party's organisational setup.

The challenge to Mamata Banerjee's leadership has been growing since the TMC lost power in the West Bengal Assembly elections. Since then, the party has witnessed several defections and rebellions among both legislators and Members of Parliament. The latest developments have further intensified the struggle for control within the party.

The decision to appoint Arup Roy as chairperson was taken during a separate meeting of rebel MLAs and party councillors at a five-star hotel in New Town. The meeting was attended by several senior leaders, including Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha, Asim Bose, Jui Biswas and Tarak Singh. Rebel MLAs, councillors and former elected representatives from Kolkata, Howrah, Murshidabad, Berhampore and several other districts were also present.

Leaders of the rebel faction said the meeting was called to address what they described as a “constitutional crisis” within the party. During the meeting, Ritabrata Banerjee argued that the party constitution requires the formation of a national working committee every three years. According to him, the previous committee was formed in February 2022 and had completed its term without being reconstituted.

“The organisational structure was not reconstituted after the expiry of its tenure. Therefore, it became necessary to initiate the process of rebuilding the party's national leadership in accordance with the constitution,” a leader present at the meeting quoted Banerjee as saying.

After his speech, those present unanimously approved the formation of a new national working committee. The initial committee included Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Biplab Mitra, Akhruzzaman Ansari, Sabina Yasmin, Sandipan Saha, Rathin Ghosh, Javed Khan and Ritabrata Banerjee. The committee was later expanded to include 30 members.

Soon after, Arup Roy, the veteran MLA from Howrah Central, was elected chairperson through a voice vote. Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Rathin Ghosh and Sabina Yasmin were appointed vice-chairpersons. Ritabrata Banerjee, Javed Khan and Sandipan Saha were named general secretaries. Akhruzzaman Ansari was appointed treasurer.

The newly formed committee also decided to appoint an independent auditor to review the party's financial records. Members of the rebel faction argued that their committee represented the legitimate continuation of the Trinamool Congress. They claimed the existing leadership had failed to follow the organisational provisions outlined in the party constitution.

Sources within the rebel camp stated that nearly 60 MLAs and a large number of councillors supported the meeting and its resolutions. They claimed many councillors from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation were either present at the gathering or backed the decisions taken there.

Meanwhile, leaders loyal to Mamata Banerjee strongly rejected the developments. They dismissed the actions of the rebel faction and maintained that the Trinamool Congress remains inseparable from Mamata Banerjee's leadership.

Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh from the official camp described the developments as a “comical show” and said the party did not take them seriously.

“It is a comedy show. A man who has been expelled from the TMC is holding a special session. The matter is in the court and we believe justice will be done. We do not give any importance to such comical behaviour. TMC = Mamata Banerjee. All else is a circus,” he wrote on X.

The Trinamool Congress is currently witnessing one of the largest rebellions since its formation. The crisis intensified after the party lost power in West Bengal following nearly 15 years in office.

A few weeks earlier, a majority of TMC MLAs had supported Ritabrata Banerjee's claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition. They rejected the candidate backed by the Mamata Banerjee-led leadership. Since then, the rebel camp has claimed that it enjoys the support of around 65 legislators in the Assembly.

The political turmoil has also affected the party's presence in Parliament. At least 20 of the TMC's 28 Lok Sabha MPs have broken away from the Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party. They later merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and extended support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The move has significantly weakened the Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha and further increased pressure on the party's leadership.