The faction loyal to former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee within the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) filed four separate police complaints across four police stations in and around Kolkata within a 24-hour window on 28 June, targeting the rebel majority faction led by expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee. The complaints centre on the alleged unauthorised use of the party logo and the illegal installation of a rival chairperson in place of Mamata Banerjee.

Where the Complaints Were Filed

Two of the four complaints were lodged at police stations under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Police — specifically Kalighat Police Station and Pragati Maidan Police Station. The remaining two were filed under the Bidhannagar City Police jurisdiction, at New Town Police Station and Bidhannagar Cyber Police Station, with the last complaint registered at the cyber unit.

What the Complaints Allege

According to an insider from the minority faction, all four complaints carry the same core allegations: the rebel camp has been using the TMC party logo without authorisation in mass programmes, and has illegally announced veteran party legislator Arup Roy as the new TMC chairperson — effectively replacing Mamata Banerjee without any sanctioned process.

A leader from the original faction explained the party's constitutional position: at an organisational conference held in 2022, delegates — restricted to members with at least five years of party membership — voted to retain Mamata Banerjee as chairperson for life. Under party rules, the next such conference is due in 2027, and only Mamata Banerjee, as sitting chairperson, can convene an emergency special session in the interim.

'Only those who have been members of the party for at least five years had the right to vote as delegates in that conference... the organisational conference is supposed to be held again in 2027. If any special situation arises in the meantime, then the chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, can only convene a special session. But instead of following that party protocol, the rebel camp had illegally announced Arup Roy's name as their chairperson in the absence of Mamata Banerjee. Since then, the party logo and name have been used by them as per their wishes. So, we have filed these four separate complaints at four police stations,' the faction leader said.

The Rebel Camp's Position

The rebel faction, which reportedly commands a majority among the party's legislators and organisational units, has pushed back. Its representatives argued that since they have already approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the disputed party logo and funds, the matter should now be decided exclusively at the Commission level. This signals the dispute is fast moving from street-level confrontation to a formal institutional battle.

Background and What Is at Stake

The TMC split pits the Mamata Banerjee–Abhishek Banerjee camp — the party's general secretary and Mamata's nephew — against the rebel faction headed by Ritabrata Banerjee, who was expelled from the party. Control of the TMC's official symbol and recognition by the ECI carries enormous electoral consequences: the faction that wins ECI recognition retains the right to field candidates under the party's established brand, a decisive advantage in West Bengal's deeply competitive political landscape. This is not the first time a regional party in India has faced a split-and-symbol battle; the precedent of the Shiv Sena dispute before the ECI offers a sobering parallel for both sides.

With police complaints now on record and an ECI petition already filed, the coming weeks will determine whether the dispute is resolved institutionally or escalates further.