The inaugural gathering of the recently formed block within the Trinamool Congress Legislative Party in the West Bengal Assembly, now recognized as the official principal opposition group in the state, is set to take place on Thursday. Led by Ritabrata Banerjee, the ‘expelled’ Trinamool Congress legislator from Uluberia (Purba) constituency, the meeting will convene on the Assembly premises. Ritabrata has been designated as the official leader of this new block in the House and the Leader of Opposition (LoP) as per Assembly records.
A resolution nominating Ritabrata as the LoP received endorsement from 58 Trinamool Congress legislators who signed the resolution. Speaker Rathindra Bose accepted this resolution on Wednesday, with 60 rebel MLAs expected to attend the meeting. Consequently, the original Trinamool Congress block, loyal to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, now comprises only 20 legislators.
Following the declaration of Assembly election results on May 4, where the Trinamool Congress suffered a significant setback with their seat count reduced to 80 in the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly, political observers suggest that Ritabrata’s orchestrated rebellion and subsequent disintegration of the party was a strategic move. The rebellion initiated by Ritabrata and his associates, including Sandipan Saha, legislator from Entally Assembly constituency, led to the formation of the new block.
Efforts are ongoing to further divide the original block and create a divide between Mamata Banerjee and her nephew. Ritabrata’s team is urging Mamata Banerjee to advise the new block while indirectly pushing for the expulsion of her nephew from the party. The composition of the new leadership team in the block reflects diversity, with representatives from various sections including upper-class, Scheduled Caste, Muslim, and trading community backgrounds.
