Calcutta HC admits TMCP foundation day pleas from rival TMC factions for Aug 28
Synopsis
Two rival factions of a party once synonymous with West Bengal's political landscape are now fighting in court over who gets to celebrate their student wing's birthday at a single road in Kolkata. The Mayo Road dispute over TMCP's foundation day is the second such venue clash in weeks — and a vivid marker of how completely the Trinamool Congress has fractured since its 2026 electoral defeat.
Key Takeaways
The Calcutta High Court admitted urgent pleas from both TMC factions on 24 August over the TMCP foundation day event at Mayo Road , Kolkata.
The matter will be heard by Justice Sougata Bhattacharya on Tuesday .
The minority faction is led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee ; the rebel majority faction by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee , current Leader of the Opposition.
The TMC split after losing power in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections .
A similar venue dispute arose on 21 July over Martyrs' Day , when the Mamata-led faction was redirected from CESC House to Birla Planetarium with restricted participation.
The Calcutta High Court on Monday, 24 August admitted urgent petitions from both rival factions of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), each seeking permission to hold the foundation day celebrations of the party's student wing, Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), at Mayo Road in central Kolkata on 28 August. A single-judge bench of Justice Sougata Bhattacharya approved the pleas for hearing, with the matter scheduled to come up before the court on Tuesday.
Two Factions, One Venue
Both factions are staking a claim to Mayo Road, the traditional venue where TMCP has historically held its annual foundation day event. The dispute reflects the deepening split within what was once West Bengal's dominant political force.
The minority faction — still regarded as the original party — is led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. The rebel but reportedly majority faction is led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, who currently serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.
Background: A Party Divided After Electoral Defeat
The TMC was voted out of power in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, after which the party fractured into two competing camps. Mayo Road had long been an uncontested venue for TMCP events when the party was undivided and in government. The current legal battle over the same ground underscores how completely the organisation's internal cohesion has collapsed.
Notably, this is not the first time rival factions have clashed over a symbolic venue. On 21 July, during Martyrs' Day commemorations, the Mamata Banerjee-led faction was denied permission to hold its rally at the traditional venue in front of CESC House near Esplanade in central Kolkata. Following the court's ruling, that faction was permitted to hold a rally instead in front of Birla Planetarium, also in central Kolkata, but with a restricted number of participants.
What the Court Will Decide
The hearing on Tuesday will determine which faction — if either, or both under separate conditions — may use Mayo Road on 28 August. The court could also explore whether a shared arrangement or staggered timings are feasible, though no such indication has been given publicly at this stage.
What This Signals for West Bengal Politics
The legal contest over student-wing venues is a proxy war for a larger battle over organisational legitimacy. Whichever faction secures court approval to hold the flagship event at the original venue will claim a symbolic — and politically potent — victory. With the TMC in opposition and both factions competing for the same cadre base, the outcome of Tuesday's hearing carries weight well beyond a single celebration.
Point of View
Not cosmetic. The Martyrs' Day precedent is telling: the court did not simply pick a winner, it imposed constraints on both. Tuesday's hearing may follow the same logic, leaving neither faction with a clean symbolic claim. For Mamata Banerjee, already diminished by electoral defeat, losing the Mayo Road venue a second time would carry outsized political cost.
NationPress
24 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are two TMC factions fighting over the TMCP foundation day venue?
Both factions of the split Trinamool Congress want to hold the student wing's annual foundation day at Mayo Road in central Kolkata on 28 August — the venue historically used when the party was unified. Since neither faction recognises the other's legitimacy, both have approached the Calcutta High Court separately for permission.
Who leads the two rival TMC factions?
The minority but original faction is led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. The rebel faction, reportedly commanding a majority of legislators, is led by expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, who is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.
What did the Calcutta High Court decide on 24 August?
A single-judge bench of Justice Sougata Bhattacharya admitted the urgent pleas from both factions and scheduled a full hearing for Tuesday. No final order on venue allocation has been passed yet.
Has a similar venue dispute happened before between these factions?
Yes. On 21 July, during Martyrs' Day, the Mamata Banerjee-led faction was denied permission to hold its rally at the traditional venue near CESC House, Esplanade. The court allowed the faction to hold a rally at Birla Planetarium instead, but with a limited number of participants.
Why did the TMC split in the first place?
The Trinamool Congress fractured following its defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, after which a rebel group led by Ritabrata Banerjee broke away. The two camps have since competed for organisational control, cadre loyalty, and symbolic venues.
