Mamata Banerjee addresses first protest rally at Esplanade, Kolkata after losing 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections

New Delhi: Trinamool means “grassroots” – the name chosen by Mamata Banerjee When he founded the party in 1998, it was to present it as a grassroots-driven movement. But on Wednesday, the palace that Mamata built over two decades seemed weak and perhaps facing its biggest crisis.In an unprecedented revolt, which has drawn parallels with the breakaway of Shiv Sena in 2022, 58 rebel TMC MLAs led by expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee claimed control. Trinamool Congress The legislature party alleged that they had obtained recognition from Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose. This rebellion took place a month after the election results were declared in West Bengal. The then CM Mamata had claimed that her party would win 226 seats (it won 80 seats). While the dissidents have been accepting Mamata Banerjee as their leader, they have openly rejected her nephew’s authority in the functioning of the legislature party.

As the crisis unfolded, the party dissolved all its committees across West Bengal, senior leader Firhad Hakim accepted resignation as Kolkata mayor, and the Enforcement Directorate summoned Abhishek Banerjee in its probe into the teacher recruitment scam. Overall, these developments show that the TMC is grappling with challenges on multiple fronts and perhaps facing the most turbulent moment in its history.

Here are the latest developments:

Rebels claim majority

The Trinamool Congress was plunged into its deepest crisis since its formation on Wednesday when most of its MLAs staged a dramatic rebellion, threatening a split from within the party. Expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee claimed that 58 MLAs have supported him as the new leader of the opposition and Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose has accepted the dissident camp’s claim.The dissident camp presented letters of support from 58 MLAs before the Speaker, easily crossing the two-thirds mark required under anti-defection provisions.Ritabrata Banerjee told reporters after meeting the Speaker, “The Speaker has accepted our claim.”

Claiming legitimacy on the basis of numbers, he said, “TMC legislative party is a team of 58 MLAs who won on the TMC election symbol. We are now the real TMC in the Assembly.”The Speaker’s approval effectively formalized the first split in the TMC’s 28-year history.Rebel’s unveiling of leadership teamFollowing the recognition of the rebel group, the dissidents announced a new leadership structure. Ritabrata Banerjee was named Leader of the Opposition, while Akhruzzaman was appointed Chief Whip.Senior MLAs Javed Ahmed Khan, Sandipan Saha, Sabina Yasmin and Shiuli Saha were named deputy leaders. Many senior MPs including Samar Mukhopadhyay, Arup Roy, Rathin Ghosh, Javed Khan and Prasun Banerjee are also reported to have joined the rebellion.Mamta agreed, Abhishek deniedDespite challenging the existing leadership structure, the rebels stopped short of directly confronting Mamata Banerjee.“Abhishek Banerjee will have no role in this. Neither our legislature party nor the party organization has any relation with him. Nor does the public have any relation with him. The people of Bengal have no relation with him. If there was any relation, he would not have remained hidden for 26 days, he would have come out.” Ritabrata said, “He was beaten just like thieves are beaten.”He said, “We will request Mamata Banerjee to play the role of chief advisor of the legislature party.”TMC dissolved all the committeesAs the crisis escalated, the party leadership announced sweeping organizational changes.“After careful consideration, it has been decided that all the committees of the All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, as well as all its frontal organisations, will be dissolved with immediate effect,” the party said in a statement.Political observers saw the move as an acknowledgment that the dispute had moved beyond routine factionalism into a battle for control of the party.The roots of the rebellion lie in the dispute over the selection of the opposition leader after the elections. Firhad Hakim resigns from the post of Mayor of KolkataIn another blow to TMC, senior leader Firhad Hakim sought Mamata Banerjee’s approval to resign from the post of Kolkata Mayor.“At that time, he was asked not to resign. However, today he again requested Mamata Banerjee to allow him to step down, after which she agreed,” TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh told reporters.Hakim had earlier cited difficulties in functioning after the BJP came to power in West Bengal. His resignation comes amid uncertainty within the party and follows a series of resignations of councilors in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.One of the most prominent minority faces of TMC, Hakim has served as the mayor of Kolkata since 2018 and remains a key figure in the party.ED sent summons to Abhishek BanerjeeThe Enforcement Directorate also summoned TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in connection with the primary teacher recruitment scam.Agency officials sent a notice directing him to appear on June 15. The summons is related to the ongoing money-laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment and suspected financial misconduct.ED has already attached and seized assets worth Rs 154 crore in this case. Earlier this year, assets worth around Rs 57.78 crore were attached in connection with the widespread school recruitment scam. The investigation gained national attention following the arrest of former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in 2022 following the recovery of cash and valuables linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs racket.(with inputs from agencies)