New Delhi: Internal rebellion Trinamool Congress The dispute between the (TMC) has deepened since last week, with rebel MLAs supporting expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee for the post of leader of the opposition and it being compared to the Shiv Sena split in Maharashtra.But a closer look reveals that the rebellion may be less challenging Mamata Banerjeeand much more about questioning the leadership of and the growing authority of his nephew and political successor, Abhishek Banerjee.At first glance, this development appears to be a direct challenge to the TMC leadership. A group of rebel MLAs have questioned the validity of the party’s decision-making process, accusing the leadership of preparing a proposal on the appointment of the leader of the opposition and openly flouting the official line.Yet the rebels have been careful about one thing: they have avoided attacking Mamata Banerjee herself.Even after his expulsion, Ritabrata Banerjee has not presented himself as a rival to the TMC supremo. Instead, their fight focuses on how decisions are being taken within the party and who is exercising authority in the name of Mamata Banerjee.The letter submitted by the rebel camp to Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose reportedly recognizes Mamata Banerjee as its leader, even as it challenges the party’s official position on the opposition leadership.The immediate trigger of the crisis explains this clearly.A controversy erupted over the appointment of the opposition leader after TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee informed the Speaker about the party’s decision. Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha challenged that process, alleging that no such resolution was passed in the legislature party meeting and that many signatures were fake.Therefore, the controversy is not about Mamata Banerjee’s leadership. This is on the authority exercised by Abhishek Banerjee and the functioning of the organization under him.

Notably, even TMC’s defense on the appointment of Leader of Opposition focuses on the communication made by Abhishek Banerjee to the Speaker. Party leaders have repeatedly argued that his letter is the only valid document before the Assembly, putting Abhishek at the center of the confrontation.This is why the latest developments may be seen by many as a proxy fight over succession.For years, Abhishek Banerjee has been widely seen as the political successor to Mamata Banerjee. He has emerged as the key strategist, chief campaigner and organizational face of the party after Mamata. As his influence grew, concerns grew among sections of the older leaders who felt that they were increasingly sidelined.The current rebellion appears to have brought those tensions out into the open.After the party expelled Ritabrata Banerjee, he pointed out the sharp difference between Mamata and Abhishek. “The party has expelled me, but I believe I am still with TMC…Abhishek Banerjee is a nobody in the 18th West Bengal State Legislative Assembly,” he told reporters.However, when he was asked about Mamata Banerjee, his tone was completely different.“Mamata Banerjee is a big leader. I may have been expelled from the party, but I have not lost respect for her.” She’s still my leader,” he said.Ritabrata also made fun of Abhishek’s political troubles after his election defeat and the subsequent signature controversy. Referring to the protests against the TMC leader, he quipped to reporters: “At least people are not shouting ‘thief, thief’ at me.”However, his criticism of Abhishek was not triggered by the current crisis.In recent months, Ritabrata has emerged as one of Abhishek Banerjee’s most vocal internal critics. He questioned the increasing role of advisors and strategists in party affairs and criticized excessive centralization of decision making.Following the party’s electoral setback, he publicly expressed concern over whether a handful of advisers had become more influential than grassroots leaders. Although Abhishek was not always named directly, the criticism was widely interpreted as targeting the leadership structure associated with him.This helps explain why the rebels’ confrontation is centered on decisions conveyed by Abhishek Banerjee rather than Mamata Banerjee herself.The political mathematics may also seem obvious.Mamata Banerjee remains the party’s biggest mass leader and most recognizable face. Challenging him directly risks alienating a large section of TMC workers and supporters.For dissident leaders, challenging Abhishek allows them to present their revolt not as a revolt against the party founder, but as a fight against a leadership style, an organizational model and, ultimately, a succession process that has intensified after the assembly election defeat.This is what makes the current crisis important.Regional parties across the country have often struggled during succession changes. Bal Thackeray and the NCP’s internal fight over succession ultimately led to the Shiv Sena’s split, with Sharad Pawar showing how questions of inheritance can quickly become questions of power.It appears that TMC is now facing its own version of that dilemma.Now the question before the party is not whether Mamata Banerjee remains its undisputed leader. There seems to be very little disagreement on that issue.The more important question is whether Abhishek Banerjee can achieve the same level of acceptance across the organisation.The answer will determine whether the current rebellion remains an isolated act of dissent or becomes a broader challenge to the party’s organizational structure and succession planning.