TMC dissolves West Bengal committees as factional rift deepens

The party does not clarify what led to the decision

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has dissolved all its committees in West Bengal, announcing a “comprehensive” review of the party structure amid rebellion by a large section of its legislators, reports The Hindu.

The decision was announced on Wednesday through a post on X.

The party, however, did not mention the reason behind the decision.

The move comes hours after 58 dissident MLAs from the party approached the state assembly speaker for recognition as a “separate legislature party”, The Hindu said.

With the call, the crisis within the organisation deepened, adding to its recent electoral setback.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a decisive victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections last month, ending the TMC’s 15-year rule under Mamata Banerjee.

In the X post, the TMC said it would undertake a “comprehensive exercise of introspection, performance review and organisational assessment at every level”.

The organisational structure of the parent body and all frontal organisations will be reconstituted and announced in due course, it read.

The potential overhaul is crucial for the party as it grapples with the biggest internal challenge in recent years.

Earlier in the day, expelled TMC lawmaker Ritabrata Banerjee was appointed the Leader of Opposition.

He was backed by the 58 dissent MLAs.

Banerjee’s loyalists argued that an expelled Trinamool leader cannot be appointed to the post.

Akhruzzaman, the MLA from Raghunathganj, was named as the chief whip of the TMC.

Javed Khan, Sabina Yasmin, Sandipan Saha, and Sheuli Saha, who are among the 58 rebel MLAs, were also appointed deputy leaders in the House.

Ritabrata and Akhruzzaman reached out to the former West Bengal chief minister, saying: “We appeal to Mamata Banerjee to remain as a main advisor to the Trinamool Legislature party.”

On May 20, the TMC had nominated 10-time MLA and veteran leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition. But the rebels objected to the decision.

On Monday, the party expelled Ritibrata and Sandipan.