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Mamata Banerjee Holds Key Meeting With Sonia Gandhi (Image Internet)
New Delhi: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee met Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her residence in 10 Janpath on Tuesday, a day after the INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi underscored the need for stronger coordination among opposition partners.
Sources indicated that the two leaders discussed future political strategy and cooperation between their parties in the wake of recent developments within the opposition alliance.
The meeting came shortly after Banerjee and Gandhi shared a cordial moment at the INDIA bloc meeting, where opposition leaders projected unity ahead of upcoming political challenges. The renewed engagement between the two leaders is being seen as an attempt to strengthen coordination within the alliance.
The discussions also come at a time when the Trinamool Congress is facing a significant internal rebellion. Several party MPs have reportedly distanced themselves from the leadership and aligned with rival political positions, while a large group of MLAs has formed a separate faction in the West Bengal Assembly.
The internal split has been led by a faction supporting expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, who has been recognised by the Assembly Speaker as Leader of Opposition after a majority of TMC MLAs backed him over the party’s official nominee Sovandeb Chattopadhyay.
Adding to the turmoil, the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reached the Trinamool Congress office-cum-residence at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street in Kolkata as part of its investigation into allegations of forged signatures of MLAs.
Officials said the search was based on statements submitted by party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who reportedly confirmed that signatures were collected at the central office.
However, the CID team was denied entry into the premises, leading to a brief standoff. TMC leaders stated that access would be allowed only in the presence of Abhishek Banerjee.
The forged-signature allegation stems from a disputed proposal submitted to the Assembly Speaker, which triggered an FIR and subsequent investigation. The issue has escalated into one of the most serious internal crises in the party’s recent history, marking an unprecedented split since its formation in 1998.
