TMC chief Mamata Banerjee with nephew Abhishek Banerjee

New Delhi: What started as a routine conversation in Delhi has resulted in the most serious internal crisis in the history of the Trinamool Congress, resulting in a split that has rocked the party establishment. Mamata Banerjee Almost three decades ago.On Wednesday, a group of 58 rebel MLAs led by expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee claimed control of the TMC legislature party after seeking recognition from Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose. The dramatic developments marked nearly two weeks of heightened tension over allegations of forged signatures, resentment over Abhishek Banerjee’s growing influence and an increasingly visible succession battle within the party.The seeds of the crisis were sown after the party’s assembly election defeat on May 4. Dissatisfaction began to surface among a section of the newly elected MLAs, many of whom privately expressed concerns about the concentration of power around Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew.Those concerns became more evident during a meeting of MLAs on May 6 when Mamata Banerjee reportedly asked MLAs to appreciate Abhishek for his role in the election campaign. Although it was intended as a sign of appreciation, some members interpreted it as a sign of a family’s increasing prominence within the party structure.Early signs of disagreementThe first public signs of disagreement emerged on 19 May. During a meeting of MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Entally MLA Sandipan Saha questioned why Falta MLA Jahangir Khan did not face disciplinary action despite publicly withdrawing from the re-poll campaign. Given Khan’s alleged closeness to Abhishek, the criticism was widely seen as a challenge to the party leadership.

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Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh had also raised similar concerns at the time, though he later distanced himself from the rebel camp.turning point A turning point came on May 22 when Ritabrata Banerjee went to Banga Bhawan in Delhi to complete the formalities related to the end of his Rajya Sabha tenure and unexpectedly met Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. After the meeting, Ritabrata publicly praised Adhikari’s decision to invite opposition MLAs and MPs to administrative review meetings, triggering intense political speculation.On May 25, the crisis deepened when allegations were made that fake signatures of several MLAs had been put on the documents submitted to the Speaker regarding the leadership of the legislative party.Two days later, Ritabrata and Sandipan lodged a formal complaint with the Speaker. The Assembly Secretariat later contacted the police, prompting a CID investigation.As the MLAs were questioned over the next few days, the controversy quickly escalated into a broader political confrontation. What started as a dispute over signatures became a rallying point for disgruntled MPs and intense lobbying began behind the scenes.brothers in mob attackTension further increased after the mob attacked Abhishek Banerjee during his visit to Sonarpur on May 30. While party leaders publicly condemned the incident, many TMC leaders privately saw the muted reaction from sections of the organization as evidence of growing rift between the leadership and some MLAs.By the next day, the extent of the challenge facing the leadership became clear. The meeting of newly elected MLAs called by Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence reportedly saw lower than expected attendance, undermining efforts to display unity.The decisive crackdown came on 1 June. Soon after the official revealed that a CID probe was initiated following complaints by Ritabrata and Sandipan, the TMC expelled the two leaders.Instead of ending the crisis, the expulsion energized the dissident camp. Ritabrata and his supporters intensified their criticism of Abhishek Banerjee and accused him of centralizing power within the party. This operation became known as “Operation Crown Prince” in rebel circles.legislative revolution?The leadership’s efforts to establish control through new communications to the Speaker regarding the leadership of the legislature party continued on June 2. However, support among legislators continued to swing towards the rebels.The tension reached its peak on Wednesday when 58 MLAs submitted a letter to Ritabrata Banerjee electing him as the legislature party leader and proposing a new leadership structure. The Speaker accepted the claim and effectively recognized the rebel faction as the official legislature wing of the TMC.Soon after, many of the MLAs involved attended a government review meeting called by Adhikari in Nabanna, underscoring the scale of the political realignment.This development is the biggest break in the 28-year history of the party built around Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and political appeal.It also had an ironically personal twist. Former CPI(M) leader Ritabrata had often cited Vladimir Lenin while describing Mamata Banerjee’s ability to connect with the common people and argued that observing her political style helped him understand the Bolshevik leader’s principles of mass mobilisation.On Wednesday, he found himself leading what his supporters call a “legislative revolution” against the same leader he once compared to Lenin.TMC has been revolving around the same leader for almost three decades. The fourteen-day rebellion has now exposed the risks, tensions and unanswered questions that come with Mamata Banerjee.