The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday issued notices to the two warring camps of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after a rebel faction delegation led by West Bengal opposition leader Ritabrata Banerjee met the entire poll bench, demanding the party’s name, symbol and bank accounts.
The team, which arrived in Delhi on Wednesday evening, included Banerjee’s MP Sandeepan Saha, Javed Ahmed Khan and Arup Roy – the veteran lawmaker who was appointed national president by the rebels after voting Mamata Banerjee out of office in their special session on June 22. The faction’s lawyers had earlier submitted the hearing decisions to the Election Commission of India.
Of the 80-member TMC in the West Bengal Assembly, the faction claims the support of over 60 legislators, besides a majority of panchayats and municipal representatives.
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Mamata Banerjee’s leadership launched a counterattack, questioning the Election Commission of India’s decision to give the rebels a hearing. At a press conference in Delhi, TMC MPs Saugata Roy and Sagarika Ghose accused the committee of acting at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to win over the opposition.
Loyalists claimed that the IEC did not have the jurisdiction to interfere in internal party affairs or recognize “expelled” members, demanding to know why independent or rebel MPs were given full appointments to their positions.
“The commission has written to both Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee regarding the allegations and counter-allegations made by their factions in connection with the organizational elections and approved signatories of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). Both sides have been directed to submit their replies by 5:30 pm on Monday, 6 July 2026,” ECI officials said.
Separately, the Kolkata High Court, while hearing a petition filed by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, challenging the debt freeze on the party’s bank accounts, directed HDFC Bank to disclose the collection in those accounts.
