TMC rebel faction meets Election Commission for party recognition

A five-member delegation from a rebel faction of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, met with the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Delhi on Saturday. The group, which includes Akhruzzaman, Arup Roy, Chandrima Bhattacharya, and Riju Datta, is seeking official recognition as the legitimate leadership of the party.

The rebel faction consists of approximately 60 of the 80 newly elected TMC MLAs who distanced themselves from former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the party’s defeat to the BJP in the April Assembly polls. Both the Mamata Banerjee-led faction and the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction have claimed to be the “real” Trinamool Congress, leading to a dispute over the party’s name, election symbol, and funds.

The meeting occurred ahead of the September 16 deadline for filing nominations for upcoming bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar, West Bengal. Polling for these seats is scheduled for October 6, with vote counting on October 9.