TMC churn: Mamata camp seeks disqualification of 20 rebels in Parliament

The political crisis engulfing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) took new turns on Friday (June 19) as the Mamata Banerjee camp moved to disqualify 20 rebel MPs in Parliament, while legislators aligned with the breakaway faction sought police intervention to freeze the party's bank accounts.

Senior party leader Abhishek Banerjee met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in New Delhi this evening to challenge a breakaway faction's bid for official recognition, the same day rebel legislators sought a police probe into alleged irregularities in the party's financial accounts.

Curb on TMC’s finances

The developments added new dimensions to the escalating battle for control of the party founded by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, extending the conflict into control over the organisation's finances.

Also read: Sushmita Dev exclusive: ‘TMC rebels have taken a huge risk’

A group of legislators aligned with rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee approached the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, seeking action to halt transactions in several of the party's bank accounts.

The move came a day after former state minister Arup Biswas, who until recently served as the party's treasurer, wrote to a private bank requesting that transactions in TMC accounts be suspended until the party's internal leadership dispute is resolved.

Leadership uncertainty

In their complaint, the rebel legislators argued that ongoing uncertainty over the party's leadership and organisational control could expose the accounts to misuse, police sources said.

They also sought the freezing of accounts pending clarity on who has legal authority over the party's finances. The dispute has drawn attention because of the size of the funds involved.

Also read: TMC rebel MPs join NCPI to back NDA while also skirting legal hurdles

According to the party's audited financial disclosures submitted to the Election Commission, TMC holds hundreds of crores of rupees in deposits. Rival camps have cited figures ranging from about Rs 534 crore to more than Rs 600 crore in party-controlled accounts.

Rebels question finances

Ritabrata Banerjee, who has emerged as the face of the rebel camp in the West Bengal assembly, backed calls to freeze the accounts and questioned the source of funds held by the party.

"Who knows whether these accounts do not contain money from cut-money collections or other illegal sources?" he told the media on Friday, supporting Biswas's request that transactions be suspended.

The rebels have been claiming that they represent the "real" TMC, mirroring a wider struggle over legitimacy that is simultaneously unfolding in parliament.

Arup Biswas’ letter

The financial dispute began after Biswas wrote to bank authorities warning that severe internal divisions within the party could lead to legal complications if transactions continued.

In his letter, Biswas said a substantial number of MPs and MLAs had either left the party or openly rebelled against its current leadership, creating uncertainty over who ultimately controls the organisation and its assets.

Also read: Who is Sudip Bandyopadhyay, the heavyweight MP who dumped TMC more than once

Until the issue is settled, he argued, party funds should be protected by maintaining the status quo and preventing withdrawals or transfers.

Treasurer status dispute

The Mamata Banerjee camp has sought to downplay the significance of the letter.

Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said Biswas no longer holds the position of treasurer, having been replaced earlier this month by senior leader Subhashis Chakraborty during an organisational reshuffle.

According to the party leadership, any communication sent by Biswas after his removal lacks formal authority.

However, the fact that Biswas described himself as treasurer in correspondence with the bank has fuelled speculation about divisions even within Mamata Banerjee's loyalist camp.

Also read: Amid TMC split, treasurer seeks freeze on party’s bank accounts

The rebels have gone a step further, filing police complaints alleging that some party-linked accounts may contain funds obtained through abuse of power and demanding a formal investigation.

Meeting with the Speaker

The financial confrontation coincided with a parallel battle in New Delhi, where the Mamata Banerjee camp sought to raise the stakes for the party's rebel MPs.

Abhishek Banerjee, the party's national general secretary, met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted disqualification petitions against each of the 20 rebel MPs who have sought recognition as a separate group after announcing their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).

Speaking after the meeting, Abhishek said the Speaker had assured the TMC delegation that no decision would be taken without hearing all parties. According to him, Birla indicated that the rival faction would also be allowed to present its case before any ruling is made.

“The Constitution of our country clearly states that if an elected representative is associated with a particular political party and wins an election on that party’s symbol, then joins another political party later, his or her membership of the parliament is liable to be cancelled under the law,” he told the media after an hour-long meeting with the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Also read: TMC split: LS Speaker invites Abhishek for meeting, party says got no communication yet

“Going by that constitutional provision, it is only natural that those Lok Sabha members who won on the TMC symbol and later left the party should face disqualification,” he added.

Disqualification move

The disqualification move is Mamata Banerjee camp's most significant counterattack since the parliamentary split took place earlier this month.

The party has argued that the rebels are liable for disqualification under the anti-defection law and cannot claim protection merely because two-thirds of the parliamentary party has broken away.

TMC leaders told the Speaker that the Constitution's Tenth Schedule requires not only the support of at least two-thirds of legislators but also a merger of the original political party itself.

Also read: TMC vs TMC: Lok Sabha Speaker to hear both factions and decide on official recognition

Since the parent organisation continues to exist separately under Mamata Banerjee's leadership, the rebels cannot automatically qualify for exemption from disqualification proceedings, the party argued.

The Speaker's eventual decision could determine not only the parliamentary status of the 20 MPs but also the balance of power between the two rival factions fighting for control of the party.

Question over Abhishek’s travel

Adding to the political controversy, Ritabrata Banerjee also targeted Abhishek Banerjee's decision to travel to New Delhi by chartered aircraft for the meeting with the Speaker.

The rebel leader questioned the source of funding for such travel at a time when rival factions were fighting over control of the party's finances and demanding greater transparency regarding party funds.