- Trinamool expelled Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha over anti-party activities
- At least 50 Trinamool MLAs reportedly in contact with the expelled lawmakers
- The expelled MLAs alleged forgery of signatures on a letter endorsing leader of opposition
The Trinamool appears to struggle with keeping its flock together, weeks after it lost power to the BJP in West Bengal. Sources have told NDTV that at least 50 party MLAs are in touch with the two lawmakers expelled by the Trinamool.
Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha were expelled yesterday over alleged anti-party activities after an explosive revelation by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari that they had complained over alleged forgery of their signatures by the party.
The allegations pertained to a letter endorsing Trinamool veteran Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly.
Read: Trinamool Split Wide Open, Section Of MLAs Back Expelled Leader In House
Based on their complaint, the Assembly Secretariat lodged a police case; the charges are now being probed by the CID.
Soon after Adhikari's press conference, Banerjee and Saha were expelled from the party, followed by a buzz that a new faction has emerged within the party sans Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee -- the top two leaders in the Trinamool.
Sources said that around 50 Trinamool MLAs met with Banerjee at a hotel near EM bypass in Kolkata in this connection.
Who is Ritabrata Banerjee?
It isn't the first time that Ritabrata Banerjee is facing expulsion. The 46-year-old politician had been thrown out of the CPM nine years ago, back when he was known to be close to former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.
The CPM had nominated Banerjee to Rajya Sabha in 2014. His tenure was scheduled till 2020. In 2017, he was expelled over allegations of going against the party line. The next three years, he continued as an unattached member in the Rajya Sabha.
Following the RG Kar Hospital controversy, when Jawhar Sircar resigned mid-term as a Rajya Sabha MP, Banerjee entered the upper house on a Trinamool ticket for the remaining term.
Read: Signature Scandal Explodes In Bengal, Trinamool Expels 2 MLAs
In 2026, Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee brought him into the electoral arena, fielding him as a candidate in the state elections.
Ritabrata Banerjee has also served as the state president of the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress.
Speaking on this matter, Mamata Banerjee on Monday recalled the Left background of Banerjee.
"A certain unprincipled individual was with the CPM. It was a mistake on our part to have given him a ticket; he had come to us practically begging for it. The CPM had made the right decision back then by expelling him; it was a mistake to have saved him. These individuals are meeting with the BJP daily and acting as per their directives," she said.
Without naming anyone, the Trinamool chief added, "Among them is even a Member of Parliament. He asked for a ticket for his son."
Who is Sandipan Saha?
Sandipan Saha is the son of Swarnakala Saha, a former Trinamool legislator. Saha had previously been a councillor with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. He contested the 2026 polls from Entally in Kolkata on a Trinamool ticket.
