TMC is surrendering to BJP: Adhir claims ‘Shinde model’ unfolding in Bengal

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday likened the escalating turmoil within the Trinamul Congress to the political rebellion that split Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena, alleging that an “Eknath Shinde model” was unfolding in Bengal as a fraction of rebel legislators challenged the party leadership.

The remarks came on a day when expelled Trinamul leaders Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, leading a dissident camp, claimed the support of 58 MLAs and formally sought recognition from the Assembly Speaker for a separate leadership structure in the legislature. “They are surrendering before the BJP,” Chowdhury said. “All the elected representatives trying to form a new party have allegations of corruption against them. The Eknath Shinde model is being implemented in Bengal.”

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The former state Congress president also claimed that many Trinamul legislators were hesitant to join the BJP directly because of concerns over their support base among minority voters. The rebel camp submitted a letter to Speaker Rathindranath Bose demanding that Ritabrata Banerjee be recognised as the Leader of Opposition, rejecting the party leadership’s choice of Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay. The group also proposed Sandipan Saha for the post of Chief Whip and named Javed Ahmed Khan, Seuli Saha and Sabina Yasmin as Deputy Leaders of Opposition.

In a statement, the party said it would undertake a comprehensive review of its organisational structure, performance and functioning before reconstituting committees at various levels. “The party will undertake a comprehensive exercise of introspection, performance review and organisational assessment at every level,” the statement said. The organisational shake-up, coming amid an unprecedented public display of dissent from within the ruling party, has fuelled speculation about a wider effort by the leadership to regain control and contain factionalism ahead of future political battles.