Kolkata, Corresponent
The political turmoil within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) intensified on Tuesday as party chief Mamata Banerjee expelled eight senior leaders, including Arup Roy and Firhad Hakim, over alleged anti-party activities.
The action comes a day after a rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee announced a parallel organizational structure, claiming to represent the "real" Trinamool Congress. The dissident group removed Mamata Banerjee from the party president's post, appointed Arup Roy as its new president, and announced the suspension of Abhishek Banerjee.
Apart from Arup Roy and Firhad Hakim, the expelled leaders include Javed Ahmed Khan, Rathin Ghosh, Biplab Mitra, Sabina Yasmin, Arup Biswas and Snehashis Chakraborty. The party had earlier issued show-cause notices to these leaders seeking explanations for their actions.
The controversy escalated after the rebel faction convened a special meeting and announced the formation of an All India Trinamool Congress Committee and a 30-member National Working Committee. During the meeting, Arup Roy was unanimously elected president, while Firhad Hakim and Arup Biswas were named vice-presidents.
Despite challenging Mamata Banerjee's leadership, Ritabrata Banerjee stated that the rebel group still respected her and wanted her to serve as a mentor and guide to the organization. He also announced plans to form district-level committees to strengthen the party structure.
The rival camps have since questioned each other's legitimacy, with the rebel faction claiming it enjoys the support of party representatives and therefore represents the authentic organization. The latest expulsions are expected to further intensify the internal power struggle within the Trinamool Congress ahead of future political battles in West Bengal.
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