The special session was held amid an unprecedented crisis within the Trinamool Congress following the party’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Published: June 23, 2026, 6:44 AM IST
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Former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee
Kolkata: In a major development, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) rebel faction led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Monday took a significant step and elected MLA Arup Roy as the national president of the party, replacing the former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This marks the biggest challenge yet to the authority of the party founder. Political experts are of the opinion that this development indicates that the rebellion, which began in the state assembly and later spread to Parliament, has now reached the party’s organizational stronghold.
Who Has Been Given Charge of the TMC?
Ritabrata Banerjee, while addressing a special session attended by rebel MLAs, councillors, and other leaders in Kolkata, announced that Arup Roy had been unanimously elected as the party president. Former minister Aroop Biswas and MLAs Firhad Hakim, Rathin Ghosh, and Sabina Yasmin were appointed vice-presidents, while Ritabrata Banerjee, Javed Khan, and Sandipan Saha were named general secretaries.
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Abhishek Banerjee has been suspended from the party. Additionally, Raghunathganj MLA Akhruzzaman Ansari has been appointed treasurer.
Entire Process Conducted According to Party Constitution: Banerjee
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Banerjee said that Arup Roy was unanimously elected president during a special session of Trinamool Congress leaders and members. Seeking to reinforce the legitimacy of the process, the rebel leader stated that all proceedings had been conducted in accordance with the party constitution and that details of the special session would be submitted to the Election Commission.
“This is not a question of who is real or fake. We are the Trinamool Congress, and we will inform the Election Commission about the proceedings of today’s special session,” he said.
Offer of Chief Adviser’s Post to Mamata Banerjee
Ritabrata Banerjee said that the rebel faction had acted in accordance with the party’s constitution and convened the special session as per the rules. “The Election Commission will decide what is right and what is wrong,” he said. He added that the newly formed leadership would soon begin setting up the party’s organizational structure at various levels.
“We will soon constitute district committees, the state unit, and a panel of spokespersons,” Banerjee said. However, he adopted a conciliatory tone towards Mamata Banerjee, stating that she would be welcome to serve as the chief adviser of the rebel faction if she wished. “If Mamata Banerjee wants to become the chief adviser, she is welcome,” he said.
How Many MLAs and MPs Are in the Rebel Camp?
The special session was held amid an unprecedented crisis within the Trinamool Congress following the party’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. Just days earlier, 58 of the party’s 80 MLAs had backed Ritabrata Banerjee’s claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition, rejecting the leadership’s preferred candidate. The rebel faction claims that its strength has increased further since then.
The party also recently suffered a setback in Parliament when 20 of its 28 Lok Sabha MPs reportedly broke away from the Trinamool Parliamentary Party and merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The group also announced its support for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
