All India Trinamool Congress

TMC's treasurer seeks freeze on party bank accounts amid leadership battle

The internecine war within the TMC took a new turn on Thursday with "party treasurer" Aroop Biswas writing to a bank seeking restrictions on the operation of the party's accounts, citing uncertainty over its legitimate leadership amid rebellions and splits by MLAs and MPs. The move is being seen as a fresh setback for the camp led by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, coming days after dissident MLAs and MPs challenged the authority of the Trinamool Congress's central leadership following the party's defeat in the assembly polls, and staked claim to being the "real" TMC. A two-page letter, addressed to the manager of a private bank's Central Plaza branch in Kolkata, made rounds on social media, though PTI could not independently verify its authenticity. The bank did not respond to queries, while calls and text messages to Biswas, a former minister and once considered a loyalist of Banerjee, remained unanswered. According to the letter dated June 12, Biswas sought maintenance of

Why Chandrababu Naidu thinks Delimitation Bill can get Parliament nod now

Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu says changed political circumstances in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal could help the NDA bring back the Delimitation Bill

Rebel TMC MPs announce merger with regional party NCPI, to back NDA

The crisis in the Trinamool Congress deepened on Sunday as dissident MPs announced their merger with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India and met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking a separate seating arrangement in the House, even as TMC parliamentary party leader Abhishek Banerjee urged Birla not to accord any recognition to the breakaway faction. Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the rebel faction would also fight in court to be recognised as the real TMC and will stake claim to its poll symbol. Speaking to reporters after their meeting with Birla, rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said 20 TMC MPs had signed a representation submitted to the Speaker. "Two-thirds of TMC MPs have given a letter to the Speaker for a separate seating arrangement. We will merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party and support the NDA," she said. The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is a Tripura-based registered unrecognised party that does not enjoy any significant political

Bengal police raid Abhishek Banerjee's Kolkata residence for over 4 hours

In a dramatic pre-dawn operation that triggered a political storm in West Bengal, a large contingent of police, accompanied by central forces, raided the Kalighat residence of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday in connection with a case filed in a police station in Paschim Medinipur district, a senior officer said. The development came barely two days after the West Bengal CID questioned Banerjee in connection with the alleged forged-signature case linked to the state assembly and amid a series of fresh summons issued to him by multiple investigating agencies. According to local sources, police teams, including officers from Paschim Medinipur's Salboni Police Station and Kolkata Police, arrived outside Banerjee's Patuapara residence shortly after 3 am. Central force personnel took positions outside the premises while police officers attempted to enter the house. The TMC alleged that the police teams broke open the lock and entered Banerjee's premises. The

Fresh setback for TMC as MP Prakash Baraik resigns from party, Rajya Sabha

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik resigned from the Upper House on Thursday, the third party MP to quit this week. Baraik met Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan and submitted his resignation, sources said. In his resignation letter, the West Bengal MP wrote, "I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect." He also thanked the chairman, deputy chairman and officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for their cooperation during his tenure. A tribal leader from West Bengal, Baraik was serving as a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the Consultative Committee on Tribal Affairs. His resignation comes amid a series of exits from the Trinamool Congress. On Monday, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigned from the Upper House and subsequently announced his decision to quit the Trinamool Congress, citing differences with the party ...

Congress, TMC dismiss merger buzz amid West Bengal political churn

Meetings between Mamata Banerjee, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi spark speculation, but both parties deny any merger plans

Another jolt to TMC as party MP Sushmita Dev resigns from Rajya Sabha

Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev on Wednesday resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the second TMC MP to resign this week. Dev, a former Congress leader who had joined the TMC a few years ago, met Rajya Sabha chairman C P Radhakrishnan and resigned from the membership of the House. She is the second MP of the TMC to resign this week. Earlier, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray had tendered his resignation from the party as well as the Rajya Sabha. Sources said Dev is likely to quit the TMC and join the BJP. She has also met Assam chief minister Humanta Biswa Sarma. In her resignation letter, she said, "I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect." "I convey my sincere gratitude to your excellency, hon'ble deputy chairman and all functionaries of the Rajya Sabha secretariat extending all help and cooperation during my tenure as a member of the Rajya Sabha," Dev said in the letter to the Chairman. The Trinamool Congress is facing

Two factions, two directions: TMC split exposes ideological divide

The unfolding crisis within the TMC presents one of the most unusual paradoxes in recent West Bengal history: a simultaneous fragmentation of the party's legislative and parliamentary wings each charting sharply divergent ideological directions, yet both claiming to represent the "real" political essence of the organisation. The majority of MLAs, who formed the breakaway faction of the TMC's legislative party and secured legitimacy in the state assembly, vowed "constructive opposition" and simultaneously positioned themselves against the BJP's politics in Bengal, while the rebel Lok Sabha parliamentarians of the party followed suit five days later, only to pledge their allegiance to the BJP-led NDA. Both factions sought to legitimise their actions by invoking the cause of broader "development of Bengal", contending that the state's progress had been "impeded" during the Mamata Banerjee regime. On June 3, expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, backed by a bloc of 58 of 80 TMC legislators

CID searches Mamata's Kalighat home-office in 'forged signature' probe

A CID team on Tuesday entered Trinamool Congress's central party office-cum-residence of party supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kalighat area here, after a brief standoff with security personnel and a party leader, as a part of its probe into the controversy surrounding alleged forged signatures of TMC MLAs, which has triggered a split in the party. Officials of the state investigating agency, accompanied by personnel from the Kalighat police station and a large contingent of women police personnel, arrived at the party's central office at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street around late afternoon, sources said. The CID's move comes days after the agency served notices seeking information related to the alleged forging of signatures of TMC legislators on a proposal submitted to the Assembly Speaker for recognition of the Leader of Opposition. According to CID officials present at the spot, the search was sought on the basis of a reply submitted by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee

20 TMC Lok Sabha MPs back NDA; INDIA bloc to write to CJI over SIR

The crisis engulfing the TMC deepened on Monday as 20 Lok Sabha MPs, led by Chief Whip Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, wrote to Speaker Om Birla declaring support for the BJP-led NDA, triggering a split in the party's parliamentary unit and dealing a severe blow to Mamata Banerjee's authority after the party's Assembly poll debacle. The development comes barely days after the TMC leadership suffered a setback in the West Bengal Assembly, where 58 of its 80 MLAs defied the party high command's decision to appoint veteran leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition, and elected expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee to that post. The political turbulence that has gripped the TMC since its Assembly election debacle appeared to spill over to its parliamentary ranks on Monday, with a group of dissident MPs extending support to the NDA even as party supremo Mamata Banerjee was in Delhi attending an INDIA bloc conclave to chart a pan-India strategy against the BJP. Speaking to PTI over .

TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray quits party, steps down as Rajya Sabha member

In a major blow to the TMC amid the political turmoil rocking the organisation, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhen Shekhar Ray on Monday resigned from the party and also stepped down as a member of the Upper House of Parliament. Ray, a veteran leader and one of the most articulate voices of the TMC in Parliament, submitted his resignation to the Rajya Sabha chairman and simultaneously announced his decision to quit the Mamata Banerjee-led party. The development comes at a time when the TMC is grappling with an unprecedented internal crisis, following a rebellion in its legislative wing and growing tensions among different factions within the organisation. In his resignation letter, Ray said he was relinquishing his parliamentary membership and severing association with the TMC.

Our bid for TMC legislature party status got Speaker nod, claims Ritabrata

Expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee on Wednesday said the West Bengal Assembly speaker had accepted the rebel camp's bid to be recognised as the party's legislature wing and urged Mamata Banerjee to serve as its chief adviser. This came after 58 dissident MLAs backed legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, who has been expelled from the TMC, as the leader of the legislature party and conveyed their decision to Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose. The latest development effectively placed the control of the TMC's legislative party in the hands of dissidents and marked the most serious challenge yet to the authority of the party leadership following its defeat in the recent assembly polls. Addressing a press conference in the Assembly after meeting the Speaker, Ritabrata Banerjee said his camp had submitted the signatures of 58 MLAs elected on the TMC symbol and "our claim has been accepted by the Speaker". Claiming that a clear majority of the party's legislators were now behind him, he asser

TMC dissolves its committees in Bengal, announces organisational overhaul

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday dissolved all of its organisational committees in West Bengal and announced a comprehensive review of the party structure, a dramatic move that comes in the backdrop of rebellion by a large section of its legislators. In a statement posted on X, the TMC said that all committees of the party in West Bengal, as well as all of its frontal organisations, stood dissolved with immediate effect. The decision comes hours after dissident TMC MLAs moved the Assembly Speaker seeking recognition as a separate legislature party, deepening the crisis within the organisation following its recent electoral setback. "After careful consideration, it has been decided that all committees of the All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, as well as all its frontal organisations, shall stand dissolved with immediate effect," the party said. It said the party would undertake a "comprehensive exercise of introspection, performance review and organisational ...

58 rebel TMC MLAs back Ritabrata Banerjee as legislature party leader

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 .

TMC's Abhishek roughed up during visit to post-poll violence-hit Sonarpur

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was roughed up on Saturday, allegedly by locals, when he visited West Bengal's Sonarpur area to meet families of post-poll violence victims, police said. Stones, shoes and eggs were hurled at the MP by unidentified people who even attempted to rain blows and kicks on him, while they shouted 'thief, thief' slogans at Banerjee. Television visuals from the spot showed Banerjee being escorted out of the area wearing a helmet, with his shirt torn during the commotion. "Look what they have done to me. This was pre-planned. There is no police in the area. They want to kill me. I will not leave this place till police send their force and offer protection to the victims' families," Banerjee said while meeting the kin of a deceased post-poll violence victim. Local women, holding broomsticks and bamboo sticks, gathered outside the house of the TMC party worker where Banerjee visited. Questioning the purpose of his visit, they raised slogans ..

TMC''s Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar resigns from all party posts

Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar resigned from all organisational posts of the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday, days after publicly airing her disappointment with the party leadership. The move came a day after she attended Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's administrative review meeting in Kalyani despite her party allegedly instructing her not to participate in it. Dastidar was the national president of the TMC's women's wing and was associated with the party's "Banga Janani" programme. She, however, continues as the MP of the Barasat Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal. In a letter addressed to TMC state president Subrata Bakshi, the four-term Barasat MP resigned from all organisational responsibilities in the party, sources said. They said that she has informed the party that she could no longer continue with these responsibilities. The development is likely to deepen speculation over the evolving equations within the TMC, following its electoral setback and a string of pub

Suvendu claims 3 million women under TMC's cash transfer scheme ineligible

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said that around 30 lakh beneficiaries of 'Lakshmir Bhadar', a financial assistance scheme for women introduced by the previous TMC government, were ineligible as they were either non-Indians or their names were permanently deleted from the voter list. Adhikari introduced a form for the 'Annapurna Bhandar' scheme, as announced by the BJP government to provide Rs 3,000 per month for eligible women in the state. Addressing a press conference at the state administrative headquarters, Nabanna, Adhikari said "approximately 30 lakh beneficiaries" were receiving Lakshmir Bhandar assistance despite being ineligible as their names had been permanently deleted from the voter list, or they had not applied to a SIR-linked tribunal or for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) for inclusion. He said that the CAA applicants and those who have appealed to an SIR-linked tribunal after adjudication for entry on the voter list ..

Messi tour organiser files complaint against ex-Bengal min Aroop Biswas

Lionel Messi tour organiser, Satadru Dutta, lodged a police complaint against TMC leader and former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas and three others, including the state's former top cop, alleging they were responsible for the chaos that unfolded at the Salt Lake stadium last December and that he was made a "scapegoat" out of it. Dutta lodged the complaint at the Bidhannagar South police station on Monday evening, in which he also named former DGP and TMC Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Kumar, the minister's kin and Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor Juin Biswas and I&CA department secretary Shantanu Basu, holding them responsible for the stadium mayhem. The event organiser, who was subsequently arrested and spent 38 days in jail, sought police intervention, alleging unlawful intrusion into restricted security zones of the field, collapse of perimeter control and disruption during the high-profile programme held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, also known as Salt ...

Suvendu Adhikari slams TMC, says voters denied rights in Diamond Harbour

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday alleged the people of Diamond Harbour have not been able to exercise their voting rights for a decade ever since the local TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee appeared on the state's political scene. Assuring people that the scenario has now changed, he said the May 21 repolling in the Falta Assembly seat, which falls under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, will re-establish voter rights. Addressing a BJP workers' rally in Falta, Adhikari announced a special development package for the Assembly constituency area, over and above the pre-poll promises made by the BJP in its manifesto. In his first political meeting since he became chief minister, Adhikari said, "The Falta repolls will re-establish voter rights where people have not been able to vote for 10 years ever since the nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) arrived on its political scene. "That scenario has now changed. I urge the voters of Falta to elect the BJP candidate by a margi

TMC names Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as LoP in West Bengal assembly

The TMC on Saturday appointed Ballygunge MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the leader of opposition in the West Bengal assembly. In a statement, the party announced that Dhanekhali MLA Asima Patra and Chowrangee legislator Nayna Bandyopadhyay would serve as deputy leaders of the opposition. Kolkata Port MLA Firhad Hakim was appointed chief whip in the assembly. Hakim is also the mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The party said the newly appointed leaders would work "with commitment for the interest of the people of Bengal". BJP swept the assembly elections, winning 207 seats in the 294-member House and forming the government in the state for the first time. The TMC won 80 seats in the elections. Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as chief minister earlier in the day.