Rebels Oust Mamata! TMC Faction Names Arup Roy as New Chief in Kolkata Shake-Up
Rebels Oust Mamata! TMC Faction Names Arup Roy as New Chief in Kolkata Shake-Up
Major political earthquake in West Bengal! Rebel TMC MLAs remove Mamata Banerjee as chairperson, appointing Arup Roy. Get the full scoop on this dramatic leadership change and the factional battle!
In a stunning political development, rebel MLAs of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday, June 22, 2026, announced the removal of party founder and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from her post as chairperson. This dramatic move, orchestrated at a meeting in Kolkata, saw former Minister Arup Roy unanimously elected as the new chairperson of the party's rebel faction.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee, who led the rebel group, claimed widespread support, stating that 65 out of 80 MLAs were backing their initiative. Alongside Arup Roy's appointment, Sandipan Saha, Jawed Khan, and Ritabrata Banerjee himself were declared as general secretaries. The new office-bearers also include former Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, former Minister Aroop Biswas, and Rathin Ghosh as vice-presidents, with Raghunathganj MLA Akhruzzaman stepping in as the new treasurer.
Ritabrata Banerjee emphasized the legitimacy of their actions, asserting, “We have followed all the rules of the Election Commission. We will also notify the EC about the development. Everything has been done legally.” Dismissing any announcements from the loyalist faction operating from Kalighat, Mr. Ritabrata declared his group to be the "real Trinamool," adding, “People are being appointed there but they also seem to be resigning the next day. There is no point in discussing about them.”
The symbolic nature of the rebellion was underscored by a banner at their meeting that conspicuously lacked a photograph of Ms. Mamata Banerjee, a moment dubbed "Kolkata’s Damnatio memoriae." In response, Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh, a staunch loyalist of Mamata Banerjee, ridiculed the development, labeling it a "comedy show." Ghosh vehemently stated, “There cannot be a Trinamool without Mamata Banerjee. A man who has been expelled from the Trinamool is holding a special session. The matter is in court and we believe justice will be done. We do not give any importance to such comical behavior. Trinamool is Mamata Banerjee. All else is a circus.”
The political landscape of West Bengal is now fraught with uncertainty as both factions vie for legitimacy, setting the stage for a contentious legal and political battle over the true leadership of the Trinamool Congress.
