Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 2: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday sought responses from rival factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee over their competing claims to the leadership of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The poll panel has asked both sides to submit their replies by 5.30 pm on Jul 6.
The development comes after the TMC was voted out of power in West Bengal after 15 years, securing only 80 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Following the defeat, Ritabrata Banerjee launched a rebellion against the party leadership, seeking a change at the helm. He initially claimed the support of 57 MLAs, later asserting that the number had risen to 64, which he said was sufficient to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law.
Earlier in the day, Ritabrata met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners in New Delhi to stake claim over the party. He said his faction had submitted documents to the Commission but did not disclose further details.
"We are thankful that the full bench of the Election Commission gave us a patient hearing. We have made our points and are hopeful that the Election Commission will get back to us very shortly," Ritabrata told reporters after the meeting.
He maintained that his faction was the "real" TMC and claimed the support of more than two-thirds of the party's MLAs, besides corporators, municipal councillors and Zila Parishad members.
Ritabrata said his fight was against "individual cult" and "dynastic politics", which he alleged had weakened the party's grassroots leadership.
"My whole fight is against the individual cult and the ruthless dynastic politics that have slowly taken away the essence of the grassroots party. All people who believe in the same ideas have formed a collective, which opposes the individual cult. People of Bengal do not support dynastic politics," he said.
Mamata Banerjee's faction, however, accused Ritabrata of approaching the Election Commission at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. It also alleged that the poll body was acting under the influence of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asserted that Ritabrata had no legitimate claim over the TMC.