Kolkata, June 3: A fresh political crisis has hit the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after 58 rebel MLAs reportedly submitted a letter to the West Bengal Assembly Speaker seeking recognition of suspended MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition.
The development comes days after the party expelled Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandeep Saha over alleged anti party activities.
According to reports, the rebel legislators arrived at the West Bengal Assembly in special buses and jointly submitted a representation to Speaker Rathindra Bose.
Ritabrata Banerjee, who is leading the dissident group, claimed that around 60 TMC MLAs are prepared to rebel against the party leadership. He said 58 legislators have already endorsed his name for the post of Leader of the Opposition.
If the numbers claimed by the rebels are accurate, the strength of the Mamata Banerjee led TMC in the Assembly would be significantly reduced.
So far, neither Mamata Banerjee nor the party’s top leadership has officially responded to the latest developments.
Meanwhile, senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee reportedly communicated the party’s proposals regarding Assembly positions to the Speaker.
According to those proposals, TMC has recommended Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay for recognition as the Leader of the Opposition.
The Speaker is now expected to examine competing claims before taking a decision on the issue.
The rebellion follows allegations by Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandeep Saha that the party leadership forged their signatures, a charge that reportedly led to disciplinary action and their subsequent suspension from the party.
The episode has intensified speculation about divisions within the TMC and could have significant implications for the political landscape in West Bengal.
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