"Real" Trinamool Backs Rebel For Key Post, Says 'Mamata Banerjee Our Leader'

Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool, it appears, is coming apart at the seams.

Trinamool MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, days after his expulsion from the party, arrived at the state Assembly on Wednesday, claiming he has the support of 59 MLAs.

The party has 80 MLAs in the 294-member house. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who led the BJP to its first win the state, stands tall with 207 seats.

Ritabrata Banerjee is pitching himself as the Leader of the Opposition, brandishing the letters of support to make his case. 

Among those who accompanied him to the assembly are Arup Roy, Shiuli Saha, and Akhruzzaman. 

"Today, we will hold a meeting to select the Leader of the Opposition," Sabina Yasmin, a legislator from north Bengal, said.

Trinamool MLA Mustafizur Rahman is also among the signatories to the letter backing Ritabrata Banerjee.

"We don't know the exact figure... I am hearing from outside that 59 signatures have been recieved. I have also signed," Trinamool MLA Mustafizur Rahman said. 

Trinamool MLA Priya Paul had a guarded approach, saying, "I am going inside (Assembly), after the meeting I will tell."

A joint letter signed by 58 rebel Trinamool MLAs, nominating Ritabrata Banerjee, has been submitted to the Speaker. 

The letter asserts that this constitutes the "real" Trinamool Congress. Curiously, the letter also claims that Mamata Banerjee is the leader of this faction. 

Sandipan Saha, from Entally in North Kolkata, and Ritabrata Banerjee, from Uluberia (Purba) in Howrah District, were expelled by the Trinamool for anti-party activities on Monday afternoon.

The trouble began after Mamata Banerjee named party veteran Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition.

Sandipan Saha and Ritabrata Banerjee claim that the letter supporting Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition in the Bengal assembly carried forged signatures.

"Trinamool's corruption did not just target the people of Bengal but also its own MLAs. Trinamool stole its own MLAs' signatures. The complaint was made by two Trinamool MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha. We had no role in this," Chief Minister Adhikari told reporters.

The Assembly Secretariat filed a police case into the matter. The charges are now being probed by the CID. 

The Chief Minister said that the CID has begun collecting signature samples from MLAs whose names appeared on the letter.

"CID took signature samples from some MLAs whose names were in that letter. Three TMC MLAs, Baharul Islam, Arup Roy, and Subhashish Das, have confessed before the CID that they did not sign that document," the Chief Minister said, adding that the investigating officer will determine the next steps as per statutory procedures.

Since losing power in the state, several party leaders have openly voiced their dissatisfaction with the functioning of the party.