Political Turmoil in TMC: Taapas Roy Highlights Growing Discontent Among Leaders
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing significant internal strife, with BJP legislator Taapas Roy highlighting increasing discontent among its leaders. Ritabrata Banerjee, a key figure in this turmoil, has claimed support from a majority of TMC legislators, raising concerns of a potential split akin to the Shiv Sena rebellion in Maharashtra. As tensions rise, the political landscape in West Bengal may be on the brink of a major shift, with Banerjee's actions drawing attention to the fragility of party unity. This article delves into the implications of this crisis and the historical context surrounding it.
Jun 3, 2026, 16:18 IST
Rising Discontent in TMC
Taapas Roy, a BJP legislator, has commented on the escalating discontent among leaders and lawmakers within the Trinamool Congress (TMC). This situation suggests that the party may be heading towards a split similar to the one experienced in Maharashtra. Observers are calling this the most significant crisis for TMC since its establishment by Mamata Banerjee in 1998. At the heart of this turmoil is Ritabrata Banerjee, a former favorite of the Left Front. Ritabrata was expelled from CPI(M) in 2017 due to allegations of anti-party activities and subsequently joined TMC. Recently, TMC's top leaders have expelled him again, citing similar accusations. Ritabrata has claimed support from at least 60 of the 80 TMC legislators in the West Bengal Assembly. The rebel lawmakers are advocating for him to be appointed as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the assembly. If his claims are validated, the rebel faction could potentially bypass anti-defection laws and assert control over TMC and its symbol.
Comparison to Shiv Sena's Rebellion
This situation is being likened to the rebellion within Shiv Sena in 2022, when over 40 legislators led by Eknath Shinde broke away from Uddhav Thackeray. At that time, the unified Shiv Sena had 55 legislators. Ritabrata, alongside another expelled legislator, Sandipan Saha, is leading the TMC rebellion and is being referred to as Bengal's Eknath Shinde. The leaders from Maharashtra now hold the official position in Shiv Sena and retain the party's bow-and-arrow election symbol.
Who is Ritabrata Banerjee?
Ritabrata Banerjee's political journey has been anything but conventional. He began his career in the leftist movement, quickly rising from a student activist in the Students' Federation of India (SFI) to a Rajya Sabha MP for the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Once a favored figure in the leftist camp, his popularity waned, leading to his expulsion from the party in 2017. After joining the All India Trinamool Congress, his political fortunes revived, and he swiftly climbed the ranks, first becoming the head of the party's trade union wing and later being nominated to the Rajya Sabha. In 2026, despite a BJP wave, he won the Uluberia Purba constituency in the West Bengal Assembly elections. It now appears that he is attempting to replicate Shinde's strategy in Maharashtra by rallying a significant faction of legislators against party leadership, threatening a division within one of Bengal's most influential political forces.
The Rise and Fall of Ritabrata Banerjee in CPI(M)
Ritabrata Banerjee began his political career in the mid-1990s as a student activist in the CPI(M)'s student organization, SFI. He quickly advanced in student politics, gaining recognition as the general secretary of the Ashutosh College Student Union, which propelled him to national prominence.