Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh has accused the BJP-led state government in West Bengal of targeting leaders loyal to Mamata Banerjee while leaving members of the rebel TMC faction untouched.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said supporters of Mamata Banerjee were being arrested and harassed through old cases and fresh charges. He alleged that those on the other side of the internal party split were being let off.
“Those who are with Mamata Banerjee, that is, with the TMC that she founded, are being targeted through repression and oppression by being implicated in old cases or other charges, whereas those on the other side are being let off,” Ghosh said.
He also raised the Taratala building case, referring to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s statement that he would examine the signatures related to the sanctioning of the Taratala building. Ghosh questioned why former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim had not been arrested in connection with the case.
“In the Taratala case, if the Chief Minister is asking, ‘Let’s see whose signatures are there,’ then why aren’t you arresting them?” Ghosh said.
Rebel camp holds meeting with former councillors in Kolkata
The rebel faction within the TMC, which claims to be the “real Trinamool,” held a meeting with former party councillors in Kolkata. The gathering followed the faction’s announcement of a new leadership structure on June 22.
Former TMC councillor Debalina Biswas confirmed her attendance and said the meeting was called by the newly formed board of the All India Trinamool Congress.
“A new board for the All India Trinamool Congress, which was formed on June 22, called a meeting that was convened here today. I was invited as well, as this meeting was for former councillors. The discussion focused on the issues faced by the ex-councillors in their respective areas,” Biswas told reporters.
Rebel MLA claims majority of TMC’s elected members are with them
Expelled TMC MLA Sandipan Saha, who is part of the rebel bloc, said the meeting in Kolkata was aimed at strengthening the faction’s organisation. He claimed that most of the party’s MLAs and former councillors support the rebel camp.
“We held a meeting in Kolkata to strengthen our organisation. Councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation attended. We are the main opposition party; most MLAs are with us, as are the former councillors. Those who have been leading are with us. This makes it clear who will lead the TMC in the future,” Saha said.
The rebel faction claims the support of at least 58 of the party’s 80 MLAs, though this figure has not been independently verified.
New leadership structure announced on June 22
The rebel faction, headed by Ritabrata Banerjee, announced a new leadership structure for the All India Trinamool Congress Committee earlier this month. Arup Roy was appointed as chairperson of the new setup.
The faction also formed a 30-member National Working Committee. It stated that Mamata Banerjee should continue as a mentor within the party but should not lead it going forward.
The National Working Committee includes Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Rathin Ghosh, Sabina Yasmin, Javed Khan, and Sandipan Saha, among others. Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Rathin Ghosh, and Sabina Yasmin have been appointed as vice-presidents of the new body.
20 TMC MPs declare merger with NCPI
Adding another layer to the crisis, 20 Trinamool Congress MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar declared a merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. The merger was announced separately from the rebel faction’s internal restructuring but reflects the broader breakdown within the party.