Ritabrata Banerjee Named Bengal LoP Amid Trinamool Split

In a dramatic turn of events in West Bengal politics, expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Ritabrata Banerjee was appointed the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on June 3, 2026. This significant development marked the first major split in the 28-year history of the Trinamool Congress, plunging the party into an unprecedented internal crisis following its defeat in the 2026 state assembly elections. The political turmoil began shortly after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election results were declared on May 4, 2026. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power, winning 207 seats, while the TMC was reduced to 80 seats, ending its 15-year rule in the state. Mamata Banerjee, the TMC chairperson, herself lost her constituency in Bhabanipur, and Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP was sworn in as Chief Minister on May 9, 2026. Initially, on May 9, 2026, the Trinamool Congress had nominated ten-time MLA and veteran leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition. However, this decision soon became embroiled in controversy. Ritabrata Banerjee and fellow MLA Sandipan Saha lodged a formal complaint with the Assembly Speaker, alleging that their signatures were forged on the letter endorsing Chattopadhyay for the LoP post. This allegation prompted an investigation by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari publicly disclosed the identities of the complainants. Subsequently, on June 1, 2026, the Trinamool Congress officially expelled Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha from the party's primary membership, citing alleged anti-party activities and actions deemed prejudicial to the organization's interests. The party noted their repeated failure to attend meetings convened by the authorized leadership. Despite his expulsion, Ritabrata Banerjee emerged as the central figure of a significant rebellion within the TMC. On June 3, 2026, he, along with 58 (or 59, according to some reports) rebel Trinamool Congress MLAs, submitted a letter to the West Bengal Assembly Speaker, Rathindra Bose. This letter nominated Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition and claimed the support of a substantial number of TMC legislators. Critically, this number of MLAs surpassed the two-thirds threshold required under the anti-defection law for a breakaway faction to avoid disqualification. The Assembly Speaker formally accepted the rebel faction's claim and officially appointed Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition in the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly. This move effectively recognized the rebel group as a separate legislative party. The rebel faction also announced a new leadership team within the Assembly, including Akhruzzaman as chief whip and Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha, Sabina Yasmin, and Seuli Saha as deputy leaders. In a seemingly conciliatory, yet strategically powerful gesture, Ritabrata Banerjee publicly appealed to Mamata Banerjee to remain as the "main advisor" to the Trinamool Legislature party. The unfolding events drew comparisons to the splits seen in Maharashtra's Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party, where legislative strength played a decisive role in determining party control. The crisis further escalated on June 22/23, 2026, when the rebel faction, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, purported to remove Mamata Banerjee as chairperson of the TMC, constituted a new National Working Committee with Arup Roy as chairperson, and suspended Abhishek Banerjee. Following this, both the Mamata-led camp and the rebel faction moved the Election Commission of India (ECI), staking claims to the party's name, assets, and election symbol. As of August 18, 2026, the legal battle continues. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court directed that Ritabrata Banerjee would continue to serve as the Leader of Opposition until a single bench decided on a petition challenging his appointment, which was filed by Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay. The court set a two-month timeframe for this decision. Ritabrata Banerjee continues to function as the LoP, even accusing the state's BJP government of neglecting student union elections on August 28, 2026. This series of events marks a pivotal moment in West Bengal's political landscape, signifying a deep internal rupture within the Trinamool Congress and a challenge to Mamata Banerjee's longstanding authority.

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