West Bengal TMC President Resigns Amid Growing Rebel Faction

West Bengal's Trinamool Congress (TMC) faces a deepening organizational crisis as state president Chandrima Bhattacharya resigned from all party posts on Saturday. This move follows the party's loss of control over its headquarters and a string of senior leaders defecting after its defeat in state elections. Bhattacharya's resignation, submitted in a letter to party supremo Mamata Banerjee, marks a significant blow just weeks after her appointment.

“

I hereby tender my resignation from the post of the state president of All India Trinamool Congress which had been conferred on me in the meeting at Kalighat on June 3. I also hereby resign from all other posts which I hold at present.

In response, Banerjee launched a strong counterattack, accusing rebel leaders of conspiring with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to fracture the party. She declared she would personally assume the role of state president until veteran leader Subrata Bakshi recovers from illness. Banerjee dismissed Bhattacharya's exit, noting that Bhattacharya's son had already joined the rebel faction. She defiantly challenged the "treacherous and ungrateful traitors" to join the BJP directly and confront her.

“

I dare the treacherous and ungrateful traitors who are abandoning the party to directly join the BJP and take me on if they have the courage to do so.

Bhattacharya, a veteran leader and long-time aide to Banerjee, met with dissident lawmakers after her resignation. The rebel faction, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, has been recognized by the state assembly speaker as the principal opposition party, with 58 out of 80 TMC legislators reportedly joining them. The rebels had previously occupied the party's rented office, claiming to represent the "original" TMC. Bhattacharya stated she was present during the takeover and felt deeply hurt when Banerjee accused her of handing over the party headquarters.

“

I was told by Mamata Banerjee that I had handed over the TMC bhavan. I was deeply hurt.