Amid an escalating internal rift within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that his faction represents the "real" Trinamool Congress and dismissed any dispute over the party symbol.
Addressing a press conference, Banerjee said there was no question of claiming the party symbol as his group constituted the Trinamool Congress itself. He added that informing the Election Commission and the state unit about organisational changes was a routine process followed in accordance with established procedures.
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"We are the Trinamool Congress. So, no question of claiming the party symbol arises," Banerjee said, while claiming that a majority of the elected representatives in West Bengal were aligned with his faction.
The developments come after at least 58 of the TMC's 80 MLAs reportedly revolted against the existing leadership and formed a separate faction. The rebel group has backed Banerjee to replace Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.
The faction has also announced a 30-member National Working Committee (NWC) and said former chief minister Mamata Banerjee should continue to serve as the party's mentor.
Among those included in the committee are Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Rathin Ghosh, Sabina Yasmin, Javed Khan and Sandipan Saha. Hakim, Biswas, Ghosh and Yasmin have been appointed as vice-presidents.
Reacting to the developments, BJP leader Shishir Bajroria said the ruling party had lost public support in the state and claimed that the BJP remained the principal political force in West Bengal. He alleged that the TMC's prolonged rule had come to an end due to public dissatisfaction and said the party was now facing the consequences of losing voter confidence.
With inputs from ANI
