Ritabrata Banerjee, the ousted Trinamool Congress legislator from Uluberia (Purba) constituency in Howrah district, presented letters of support from 59 party MLAs at the West Bengal Assembly, asserting their group as the main opposition, not the faction loyal to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. As Ritabrata arrived at the Assembly around 10.30 a.m., fellow party legislators who endorsed the resolution gradually joined him. Another expelled Trinamool Congress MLA from Entally in North Kolkata, Sandipan Saha, is expected to arrive at the Assembly premises soon.
These legislators indicated that Sandipan Saha would join them shortly, followed by a brief meeting to decide on the necessary steps, which will then be communicated to the media. On a previous occasion, Ritabrata had indirectly hinted at this development while criticizing Abhishek Banerjee for requesting Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) protection after an assault in Sonarpur on May 30. Ritabrata questioned Abhishek’s leadership, highlighting his absence post-election and subsequent plea for security.
Accusing Abhishek Banerjee of managing Trinamool Congress akin to a corporate entity reliant on the Indian Police Action Committee (I-PAC), Ritabrata emphasized concerns about the party’s governance style. Both Ritabrata and Sandipan faced suspension from the party after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari disclosed a CID probe into alleged signature discrepancies in an essential Assembly document, following their report to the Speaker’s office.
