Another Jolt To Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Bengal Chief Quits, Meets Rebels

In another setback for an embattled Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, the party's West Bengal president Chandrima Bhattacharya on Saturday resigned from all party posts.

Bhattacharya was appointed state president after the Assembly election defeat. She had replaced Subrata Bakshi as state president after Mamata Banerjee dissolved all party committees and restructured the organisation on June 3, following the electoral setback against the BJP.

"I hereby tender my resignation from the post of State President of All India Trinamool Congress, which was conferred on me in the meeting at Kalighat on 03.06.2025. I also hereby resign from all other posts which I hold at present," she said in her resignation letter.

"Please note that I withdraw myself as the authorised signatory of All India Trinamool Congress and all other related organisations in respect of the accounts maintained in various banks. I also withdraw myself from being your authorised person before the Election Commission of India," she added.

She ended the letter by stating that she will always have the highest regard for Mamata Banerjee.

Soon after sending her resignation, Chandrima Battacharya met the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee at the Bengal Assembly. Ritabrata Banerjee has been appointed Leader of Opposition in Assembly as most MLAs supported despite Mamata Banerjee nominating senior TMC MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay for the post. 

Chandrima Bhattacharya with the rebel leaders

Mamata Banerjee camp MLA Kunal Ghosh, in a stinging retort to Chandrima Bhattacharya's resignation, asked why she did not resign "when she enjoyed plum portfolios given by Mamata Banerjee during her government".

Chandrima Bhattacharya is a former minister in West Bengal and was long considered one of Mamata's closest aides.

Reacting to the latest exit from the Trinamool, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said that People of Bengal have no interest in Mamata Banerjee's party anymore. "It doesn't matter anymore which direction the TMC is heading in and which faction is going to take charge of the party. People know TMC has lost its political relevance," he said.

The Trinamool Congress is facing an existential crisis as it has been hit by a stunning rebellion within its ranks since the Assembly election debacle. While a majority of its 80 MLAs have broken away and formed a separate group led by Ritabrata Banerjee, 20 of the party's MPs have also revolted and declared support for the NDA after merging with a little-known party, NCPI.

Battle For Control Of Trinamool Office

Bhattacharya's resignation came a day after high drama at the Trinamool office in Kolkata as rival factions jostled for control of the building.

A major political confrontation erupted on Friday after a rebel faction seized control of the party's metropolitan headquarters, Trinamool Bhavan, in Kolkata. The dissidents changed the locks, installed a signboard designating Arup Roy as party chairman, and laid claim to being the "Real TMC" before the Election Commission.

In response, leaders loyal to Mamata Banerjee also rushed to Trinamool Bhavan and filed police complaints against the takeover, leading to heavy deployment of CRPF and Kolkata Police around the facility.