‘58 MLAs real TMC’: Expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee leads Trinamool split

After the AAP legislature party in Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress is headed for a split in the West Bengal Assembly as 58 party MLAs led by expelled lawmaker Ritabrata Banerjee claimed to be the real TMC saying the Speaker had accepted their claim.

Banerjee, expelled two days ago by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee after he complained that his signatures on a letter recommending Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as assembly LOP had been forged, on Wednesday said the 58 MLAs with two more to join them have resolved that Mamata Banerjee should play the role of a chief adviser to them.

"TMC legislature party is a team of 58 MLAs who won on party symbol, two other MLAs are likely to join us," Ritabrata said after these MLAs backed him for the position of the leader of opposition in the assembly.

Ritabrata said the Speaker has accepted the rebel group's claim for the legislature party status.

"We are the real and principal opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, as per parliamentary norms. We request Mamata Banerjee to play the role of chief adviser of the TMC legislature party," Ritabrata said, noting that the opposition will resist BJP policies as part of reasoned criticism but will not attack it for the sake of attacking.

Banerjee said party MLAs Javed Khan, Sandeepan Saha, Sabina Yasmin and Shiuli Saha will be deputy leaders of the TMC legislature party.