Kolkata, 03 June (H.S.) : Amid escalating infighting within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), a group of dissident legislators has written to West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Basu seeking the appointment of Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. The letter is reportedly signed by 58 TMC MLAs.

According to sources, the communication not only proposes Banerjee’s name for the post of Leader of the Opposition but also recommends names for key positions within the legislature party. Sandipan Saha, Javed Khan and Shiuli Saha have been proposed as deputy leaders, while Akharuzzaman has been nominated for the post of Chief Whip.

There is, however, no official confirmation yet on whether the Speaker has formally accepted the letter. If accepted, Ritabrata Banerjee, the MLA from Uluberia, could be formally recognised as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. Notably, the dissident legislators have continued to acknowledge Mamata Banerjee as the party’s supreme leader in their communication.

The latest development comes against the backdrop of the alleged signature forgery controversy that has exposed deep divisions within the TMC. The dispute began after a proposal recommending senior TMC legislator Shovandeb Chattopadhyay for the post of Leader of the Opposition was submitted to the Speaker. Dissident leaders alleged that signatures of several MLAs were used without their consent in the proposal letter sent by TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had earlier claimed that Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha were the first to alert the Assembly authorities about the alleged forgery. Following the complaint, an FIR was registered at Hare Street Police Station and an investigation was initiated. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is assisting the police in the probe, and 13 MLAs have reportedly been questioned so far.

The controversy has intensified speculation about a possible split within the TMC. Following the expulsion of Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha from the party, the number of dissatisfied legislators appears to have grown steadily. Several MLAs have openly criticised the party leadership, deepening the organisational crisis.

Political observers believe the dissident camp is attempting to position itself as a “New Trinamool,” raising questions about the future of the party and the ownership of its official election symbol.

The political tug-of-war gained further momentum on Tuesday when Abhishek Banerjee separately wrote to the Speaker seeking immediate recognition of Shovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition. However, the Speaker was reportedly out of Kolkata at the time and could not receive the communication. With Rathindra Basu returning to the Assembly on Wednesday, attention has now turned to his next move and its potential implications for the unfolding political crisis within the TMC.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh