Ritabrata Banerjee enters Bengal Assembly with 59 MLAs' support letters
Synopsis
A 59-MLA revolt inside Bengal's Trinamool Congress walked into the Assembly on Wednesday. Expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee says his faction — not the Mamata-Abhishek camp — is now the real principal opposition, days after a bruising 24 May defeat and amid a CID probe into mismatched signatures on Assembly papers.
Key Takeaways
Ritabrata Banerjee reached the West Bengal Assembly on 3 June with support letters from 59 Trinamool MLAs .
He claims the breakaway group is the principal opposition, not the Mamata Banerjee - Abhishek Banerjee faction.
Fellow expelled MLA Sandipan Saha from Entally was expected to join him at the Assembly.
Both MLAs were suspended on Monday after a CID probe was launched into mismatched signatures on an Assembly document.
Ritabrata attacked Abhishek for seeking CAPF cover after the 30 May Sonarpur assault and accused him of running TMC via I-PAC .
Expelled Trinamool Congress legislator Ritabrata Banerjee walked into the West Bengal Assembly on Wednesday, 3 June, carrying letters of support from 59 party MLAs, and asserted that his breakaway faction — not the camp loyal to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee — constitutes the principal opposition in the state.
The MLA from Uluberia (Purba) in Howrah district reached the Assembly premises around 10.30 am, with the legislators who had signed the fresh resolution trickling in to join him one after another.
Key Developments
Those present indicated that another expelled Trinamool MLA, Sandipan Saha of Entally in north Kolkata, was expected at the Assembly shortly. ‘After Sandipan arrives, there will be a brief meeting and after that whatever is necessary will be done and then the media will be informed,' one of the women legislators said.
Both Ritabrata and Sandipan were suspended from the Trinamool Congress on Monday. The action came within minutes after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari told reporters that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police had launched a probe into a mismatch in signatures of Trinamool legislators on a key Assembly-related document — a flag raised by the two expelled MLAs in a communication to Speaker Rathindra Bose.
Attack on Abhishek Banerjee
On Tuesday, Ritabrata had hinted at Wednesday's manoeuvre while launching a sharp attack on Abhishek Banerjee over the latter's request for Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) cover after he was reportedly assaulted in Sonarpur on 30 May.
‘What kind of a mass leader is he? After the party's landslide defeat on May 24, he kept himself home-bound for 26 days. Now he is seeking Central forces' security cover for himself. He had earlier claimed that the public is there to protect him. So why is he now seeking security cover?' Ritabrata said.
He further alleged that Abhishek was running the Trinamool Congress in a ‘corporate management style', leaning heavily on the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC).
Why It Matters
The defection of 59 MLAs, if formalised, would mark one of the most consequential intra-party ruptures in West Bengal's recent political history. It comes on the heels of a stinging electoral setback for the Mamata-Abhishek faction on 24 May, and could reshape the Assembly's opposition arithmetic if the Speaker accepts the breakaway group's claim.
What's Next
The Speaker's office is expected to scrutinise the support letters and the disputed signatures flagged in the CID probe. A formal communication from the Ritabrata-led group is likely after Sandipan Saha's arrival, with anti-defection considerations and the question of recognition as the principal opposition bloc set to dominate the next phase of the standoff.
Point of View
Just days after a 24 May electoral rout, suggests the rebellion is opportunistic but not impulsive; the signature-mismatch trigger and Speaker-level paperwork point to careful staging. What mainstream coverage will underplay is the I-PAC critique: Ritabrata is not just attacking a leader, he is attacking the consultant-driven model of party-building that Abhishek embodies. Whether the Speaker recognises the breakaway bloc will decide if this is a genuine split or a footnote.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ritabrata Banerjee and why was he expelled from Trinamool Congress?
Ritabrata Banerjee is the MLA from Uluberia (Purba) in Howrah district who was suspended from the Trinamool Congress on Monday along with Sandipan Saha. The action followed a CID probe into mismatched signatures of TMC legislators on an Assembly-related document, an issue the two had flagged to the Speaker's office.
What does the 59-MLA support letter mean for Bengal politics?
If the Speaker accepts the claim, Ritabrata's faction could be recognised as the principal opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, displacing the group loyal to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. It would mark one of the largest intra-party defections in the state's recent history.
Why did Ritabrata Banerjee attack Abhishek Banerjee?
Ritabrata criticised Abhishek for seeking Central Armed Police Force cover after being reportedly assaulted in Sonarpur on 30 May, calling it inconsistent with his image as a mass leader. He also accused Abhishek of running the party in a corporate style dependent on I-PAC.
What is the CID probe about?
The Criminal Investigation Department of West Bengal Police is investigating a mismatch in the signatures of Trinamool Congress legislators on a crucial Assembly-related document. The probe was announced by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari after Ritabrata and Sandipan raised the issue with Speaker Rathindra Bose.
What happens next at the Assembly?
A brief meeting of the breakaway group is expected once Sandipan Saha arrives, after which a formal communication is likely to be made. The Speaker's office will then have to decide on the status of the 59-MLA bloc and the disputed signatures.
