TMC rebels 'oust' Mamata, appoint Arup Roy as party chief, constitute new NWC

Taking a major step towards taking over the Trinamool Congress, a rebel faction led by opposition leader Ritabrata Banerjee on Monday (June 22) removed founder Mamata Banerjee as chairperson, formed a new National Working Committee, and appointed legislator Arup Roy as party chief.

The move is seen as the most dramatic escalation so far in a bitter power struggle that has engulfed the party since a section of its lawmakers broke away following the TMC's defeat in the recently-concluded assembly election.

Rebels quote Art 20 of TMC constitution

At a meeting attended by rebel legislators, councillors, and party functionaries at a hotel in New Town in Kolkata, the dissident camp argued that the existing party leadership had lost its constitutional legitimacy because it had failed to renew the National Working Committee within the timeframe mandated by the party constitution.

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Addressing the gathering, Ritabrata Banerjee said Article 20 of the TMC constitution required the formation of a NWC every three years, and that the last such committee had been constituted on February 12, 2022.

"More than three years have passed and no new committee has been formed. Therefore, this meeting has been convened to address the constitutional crisis within the party," he told party members.

Fresh NWC constituted, Arup Roy elected chairperson

The rebels then proceeded to constitute a fresh NWC and elected Arup Roy, the legislator from Howrah Central and a former minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, as chairperson of what they described as the All India Trinamool Congress.

The faction also announced a new organisational structure, naming Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Rathin Ghosh, and Sabina Yasmin as vice-presidents. Ritabrata Banerjee, Javed Khan, and Sandipan Saha were appointed general secretaries.

Abhishek Banerjee removed from post

In another significant move, the rebel leadership removed Abhishek Banerjee from the post of national general secretary.

The meeting also named Raghunathganj legislator Akhruzzaman Ansari as treasurer, and announced plans to appoint an auditor to examine the party's finances and determine whether any irregularities had occurred in the management of party funds.

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The rebels claimed that around 60 legislators and at least 70 councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation were present at the meeting, reiterating what they claimed was growing support for their attempt to take over the organisation.

Significantly, a banner at the meeting venue carried the TMC symbol but did not feature any photograph of Mamata Banerjee.

Battle over party’s name, symbol, organisation

The developments are likely to trigger a fresh legal and political battle over the ownership of the party's name, symbol, and organisational structure.

The TMC was founded by Banerjee in 1998 after she broke away from the Congress party. Under her leadership, it rose from a regional opposition force to become West Bengal's dominant political party, ending more than three decades of Left Front rule in 2011.

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The rebel camp has argued that the party's electoral setback exposed organisational weaknesses and leadership failures that necessitated a restructuring of the organisation.

‘Unconstitutional’, say Mamata’s supporters

Supporters of Mamata Banerjee, however, have dismissed the dissidents' actions as unconstitutional and lacking legal validity.

Madan Mitra, a TMC MLA from the Mamata camp, told The Federal that the party's constitution contained no provision for such steps, and said the rebel faction's move lacked constitutional sanction.

Political commentator Debasish Chakrabarti said the move was an attempt by the rebel faction to create a formal organisational framework that could strengthen its claim before the Election Commission and other authorities in any future dispute over the party's control.

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The speed with which the meeting proceeded highlighted the rebels' determination to establish a parallel command structure. Within minutes of the gathering beginning, the NWC had been constituted, senior office-bearers appointed, and a new chairperson elected.

The dissident leaders said the newly-formed committee would now oversee the formation of state, district, and frontal organisation committees, completing what they described as a comprehensive reorganisation of the party.