Mahua Moitra attacks rebel TMC MLAs (Img: Internet)
Kolkata: A major political crisis has erupted within the All India Trinamool Congress after a large group of party MLAs revolted against the leadership, triggering sharp reactions from senior leaders.
Mahua Moitra on Thursday strongly criticised the rebel faction, accusing them of betraying the public mandate by allegedly moving closer to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Her remarks came after 58 out of 80 newly elected TMC MLAs reportedly approached Assembly Speaker Rathindranath Bose to stake claim over the TMC Legislature Party. The rebel camp was led by expelled MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra has launched a sharp attack on rebel party MLAs, accusing them of betraying anti-BJP voters after allegedly siding with the BJP. She challenged the breakaway faction to resign and contest fresh elections if they truly have independent public support. #TMC… pic.twitter.com/K6zXo2gVj8
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) June 4, 2026
The group claimed it had crossed the two-thirds threshold required under anti-defection provisions and named Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition.
Addressing the political fallout, Moitra argued that the rebel MLAs secured victory solely because of Mamata Banerjee and the TMC symbol. She said the party received strong anti-BJP support from voters and accused the rebels of going against the mandate by aligning with the BJP after the elections.
Moitra challenged the rebel lawmakers to resign from their Assembly seats and contest fresh elections independently if they believed they had public support outside the TMC banner.
She mockingly referred to the faction as “Bijemool” and claimed they could not continue holding seats won in Mamata Banerjee’s name while taking a different political path.
The TMC MP also criticised the Election Commission of India, alleging that it acted in favour of the BJP during the elections. She further accused central forces of influencing the electoral atmosphere and claimed that names of voters were removed from electoral rolls.
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Despite the rebellion, Moitra maintained that the party remained firmly under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership. She said those unhappy within the organisation were free to leave and described the current situation as a “purification” process for the party.
The political situation in West Bengal remains tense as the rebel faction’s move has significantly altered the balance inside the Assembly, setting the stage for a larger confrontation within the opposition space.
