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A dramatic political development has unfolded in the Indian state of West Bengal, where a rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has taken control of the party’s headquarters, Trinamool Bhavan, in Kolkata.
Earlier on Friday, the dissident group, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, seized the party office, claiming to represent the “real” Trinamool Congress.
After taking control of the headquarters, the rebels removed the existing signboard and installed a new banner declaring Howrah MLA Arup Roy as the party’s new national president, replacing Mamata Banerjee.
The rebel leaders claimed that more than two-thirds of the party’s legislators and Members of Parliament are backing their faction.
A day earlier, the group had appeared before the full bench of the Election Commission of India, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, asserting that they are the legitimate Trinamool Congress and should be recognised as the rightful claimants to the party’s election symbol, the “Twin Flowers.”
Upon returning from New Delhi, the faction moved to occupy the party headquarters on Friday afternoon.
Among those present during the takeover were senior leaders Akhtaruzzaman, Firhad Hakim, Javed Khan, Ghulam Rabbani, Prasun Banerjee and Sandeepan Saha. Former minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, known to be a loyalist of Mamata Banerjee, was inside the building at the time but left after the rebel leaders entered.
Following the takeover, Akhtaruzzaman told reporters that Mamata Banerjee would serve as an adviser to the newly formed party. He added that the party’s new committee would decide whether Abhishek Banerjee would have any role in the organisation.