Mamata counters rebels with revised TMC committee list to EC
Mamata Banerjee asserts control with a revised TMC committee list to the EC, dropping Arup Biswas, as rebels unveil a parallel body led by Ritabrata Banerjee
In a counter-move against the Trinamool Congress rebels’ bid to seize control of the party, Mamata Banerjee has submitted a revised party committee list to the Election Commission (EC), a party source told The Federal on Tuesday (June 23).
The development came hours after a dissident group led by rebel legislator Ritabrata Banerjee announced a parallel working committee, intensifying a battle for control of the party founded by Mamata Banerjee more than two decades ago.
According to the source, the revised committee list was sent to the EC’s headquarters in New Delhi on Monday itself.
Arup Biswas out
The list submitted by Mamata Banerjee retains her as chairperson of the party and Abhishek Banerjee as national general secretary.
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The revised committee replaces an earlier body constituted on June 5, when Mamata sought to rejig the party structure amid growing signs of factional feud within the TMC after its electoral setback.
Several leaders who were part of the June 5 committee have since drifted towards the rebel camp. The revised committee also excludes former minister Arup Biswas, who had served as a state general secretary and treasurer in the earlier committee.
Biswas recently wrote to bank authorities seeking to halt transactions in TMC accounts in his capacity as party treasurer, a move that revealed the deepening organisational conflict. He was also present at the rebels’ meeting on Monday.
Loyalists remain in key positions
The reconstituted committee includes several loyalists in key positions. Subrata Bakshi continues as vice-president, while Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen have been named joint secretaries. Subhasish Chakraborty has been named as treasurer. Chandrima Bhattacharya remains state president.
It remains unclear whether the June 5 committee had previously been submitted to the EC and whether Monday’s communication was intended as an update to an earlier submission or as the party's first formal submission following the organisational reshuffle.
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The list of National Working Committee members, signed by Mamata Banerjee as chairperson, contained 24 names. The list said the committee was as of June 20.
Rebels’ parallel committee
The competing claims over the TMC’s organisational structure are expected to become an important part of the struggle between Mamata Banerjee and the dissident faction, for the control of the party.
The submission of the list is being viewed within the party as an effort by Mamata to formally establish before the poll body that the organisation continues to function under her leadership despite the emergence of a rival faction.
The dissident camp, which has challenged the authority of the party leadership following the TMC’s defeat in the recent West Bengal assembly election, announced its own committee at a meeting in Kolkata on Monday (June 22).
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The rebel group has excluded both Mamata and Abhishek from its leadership position. It named senior legislator Arup Roy as chairman, while Ritabrata Banerjee was appointed one of the general secretaries. Former minister Firhad Hakim and legislator Rathin Ghosh were among those named vice-presidents.
