As many as 58 dissident TMC MLAs backed expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the legislature party and conveyed their decision to West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose on Wednesday, a move that could redraw the opposition's power structure in the House.
Sources said that Banerjee, along with fellow rebel MLA Sandipan Saha and several dissident legislators, met the Speaker and submitted letters of support signed by 58 MLAs.
They also proposed a new leadership team, naming Banerjee as the legislature party leader, Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha and Shiuli Saha as deputy leaders, and Raghunathganj MLA Akhruzzaman as the chief whip.
Under the anti-defection law, a breakaway faction requires the support of at least two-thirds of a legislature party to avoid disqualification. With the TMC having 80 MLAs in the Assembly, the threshold stands at 54.
If the rebel camp's claim is accepted, it would comfortably cross that mark and strengthen its case for recognition as a separate bloc in the House.
In a notable political signal, the communication submitted to the Speaker described Mamata Banerjee as the party's chairperson, indicating that the rebels are attempting to frame their battle as one against the existing legislature party leadership rather than against the TMC supremo herself.
Sources in the camp said the legislators have also made it clear that they do not accept Abhishek Banerjee's authority in deciding the affairs of the legislature party.
The TMC leadership, however, dismissed the exercise as an act of betrayal. Senior party leader and MLA Kunal Ghosh said any differences could have been resolved through discussions within the organisation.
"If they had any issues, they could have discussed them within the party. Instead, they chose to backstab the party," he told reporters.
Describing the dissident legislators and their supporters as "traitors", he asserted that the TMC would overcome the crisis and remain united under Mamata Banerjee's leadership.
Wednesday's development had its roots in a meeting of newly elected MLAs at Mamata Banerjee's residence on May 6, where the legislators reportedly authorised the party leadership to decide the names for the leader of the opposition, deputy leader and chief whip.
The TMC subsequently informed the Assembly that Sovandeb Chattopadhyay would be the leader of the opposition, Nayana Bandyopadhyay and Ashima Patra deputy leaders, and Firhad Hakim the chief whip.
However, the Assembly secretariat did not act on the communication, citing procedural requirements that such office-bearers must be elected at a formal meeting of the legislature party.
The dispute escalated when dissident MLAs alleged that signatures appended to the communication sent to the Assembly secretariat had been misused. The party leadership rejected the charge and accused the rebels of attempting to weaken the organisation after its electoral setback.
The confrontation intensified earlier this week when Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha were expelled from the party.
Ironically, Ritabrata Banerjee, expelled by the TMC leadership, has emerged as the principal face of the revolt, while the inclusion of veteran leader Javed Khan -- a trusted Mamata Banerjee associate since the party's formative years -- has lent the dissident camp additional political heft.
The developments have also fuelled questions about control of the opposition space in the Assembly. While only 30 MLAs are needed to stake claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition, the larger contest now appears to be over the legitimacy of the legislature party itself.
