New Delhi: Trinamool Congress rebels intensified their protest on Thursday Abhishek Banerjee And explained the reason for his disagreement.Expelled TMC MLA Sandipan Saha told PTI that the breaking point came during a post-poll meeting where MLAs were reportedly told that criticism of party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee would not be tolerated despite the party’s electoral setback.According to Saha, the MLAs were instructed to appreciate the leadership of Abhishek Banerjee instead of questioning the reasons for the defeat.Saha said, “The trigger point came after the party’s election defeat. No one was allowed to utter a single word of criticism about Abhishek. Instead, we were instructed that he had performed exceptionally well and everyone should stand up and congratulate him.”The comments provide perhaps the clearest insight yet into what rebels describe as growing resentment over the concentration of power around Mamata BanerjeeNephew and political heir apparent.‘Insult’ of senior leaders!Saha argued that the issue was not just electoral defeat, but what he described as shrinking space for dissent within the party.Saha claimed that experienced MLAs who have been in politics long before the rise of Abhishek Banerjee are also expected to join him.“This includes MLAs who have been serving in the Assembly since the time when Abhishek Banerjee was probably still going to school. They were also forced to stand up and applaud,” he said.For many MLAs, especially those who built the party with Mamata Banerjee during years of struggle against the Left Front, the episode became symbolic of a broader shift within the TMC – from a movement driven by grassroots leaders to one increasingly centered around a single power centre.Several rebel leaders have argued privately that although Mamata Banerjee remains the undisputed mass leader of the party, the decision-making process has increasingly become circumscribed around Abhishek Banerjee.Dissatisfaction ultimately erupted over the selection of the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Assembly.The rebels allege that despite their absence from the process, signatures of some MLAs were shown in support of the candidature of senior leader Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay.Saha alleged, “Some MLA leaders were not present for the opposition selection, yet their names were written in capital letters.”He said the objections raised by the dissident camp led to a complaint before the Speaker and ultimately encouraged more MLAs to come forward.He said, “When the investigation started, evidence started emerging confirming the truth of these allegations. Other MLAs started reaching out to us.”What started as a dispute over the opposition leadership soon became a major challenge to the internal power structure of the party.“After discussing amongst ourselves, we concluded that if we have to effectively discharge our duties within the Assembly and serve our respective constituencies, we need to form a separate group,” Saha said.The faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha has staked claim to the LOP post after submitting the signatures of 58 MLAs to the Speaker, creating the biggest crisis of Mamata Banerjee’s political career.While the TMC leadership has expelled key rebel leaders, the rebels say the rebellion is ultimately about internal democracy, accountability after the defeat and protest against Abhishek Banerjee’s unquestioned promotion within the party.