The internal power struggle within the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has now reached the party's finances, with former treasurer Aroop Biswas writing to a private bank on 12 June 2025 to seek an immediate freeze on the party's bank account holding deposits worth ₹675 crore. The letter, received by the bank on 16 June, came to light on Thursday, 18 June, deepening a succession crisis that has fractured the party into at least three rival factions.

What Biswas Demanded

In his letter to the Central Plaza branch of a private bank, Biswas — a former TMC minister — requested that the bank halt all withdrawals, debit transactions, and changes in operational mandates on the party account until the dispute over TMC's leadership and control is formally resolved. He also sought safeguards against the misuse of cheques he had signed in advance.

Biswas asserted in the letter that he continues to hold the office of treasurer. 'I, Aroop Biswas, acting in my capacity as the Treasurer of the All India Trinamool Congress (hereinafter referred to as 'AITC'), write to bring to your attention a serious dispute presently prevailing concerning the authority and control of the affairs of AITC,' he wrote. He further noted that 'rival groups are claiming to be the legitimate representatives and office bearers of AITC, resulting in uncertainty regarding the authority of persons who may seek to operate the bank accounts.'

The Reshuffle That Sparked the Row

The dispute traces directly to the TMC's organisational overhaul on 5 June, announced in the wake of the party's Assembly election defeat. In that reshuffle, former MP Subhasish Chakraborty was named the new treasurer in place of Biswas. However, Biswas was retained as a party general secretary — a move that, in hindsight, left the question of financial authority unresolved.

Reacting to the freeze request, Chakraborty told reporters: 'I do not know anything about this. However, I am the treasurer of the state organisation. Aroop was the treasurer of the All India Trinamool Congress.' When pressed on whether the two units maintained separate accounts, Chakraborty replied: 'There is only one account.' The account's ₹675 crore balance is on record in the audit report submitted by the party to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Three-Way Split and the Bigger Stakes

The financial dispute is a symptom of a deeper three-way fracture within the TMC. One faction comprises rebel MLAs in the state Assembly, aligned with Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, who have claimed to represent the 'real Trinamool'. A second group consists of rebel MPs aligned with Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, whose faction has merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and is pressing to claim the TMC election symbol. The third faction remains loyal to party chief Mamata Banerjee.

With defections continuing, control of the party's election symbol and financial assets has become the central battleground. Biswas was widely perceived to be aligned with the Mamata Banerjee camp during the rebellion, making his letter a potentially strategic move to protect assets from rival claimants.

Biswas's Own Legal Troubles

The development also comes as Biswas faces personal legal pressure. His brother Swarup Biswas was arrested in connection with the Messi case, and Biswas himself was summoned by Bidhannagar Police multiple times. After skipping summons on three occasions, the former state sports minister finally appeared before officials at Bidhannagar South Police Station on Thursday. His prolonged absence from public view had already fuelled speculation about his political positioning.

The freeze request now puts the private bank in an uncomfortable position — caught between competing claims from factions each asserting legal authority over the same account. How the dispute is resolved may depend on which group the ECI ultimately recognises as the legitimate TMC, a determination that could take months.