Chandrima Bhattacharya, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) West Bengal state president and a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday resigned from all his posts in the party, people familiar with the matter said.
“I hereby tender my resignation from the post of State President of All India Trinamool Congress conferred on me in the meeting held at Kalighat on June 3. I also hereby resign from all other positions currently held by me,” Bhattacharya wrote in her resignation letter.
She addressed Mamata Banerjee as the former Prime Minister and not as the TMC chief.
On June 3, the rebel TMC legislators, recognized by the state Speaker as the main opposition party in the House, formed the new National Working Committee and elected Arup Roy as their president, a position held by party founder Banerjee. Roy was a minister in the TMC government.
“Please note that I am withdrawing myself as the authorized signatory to TMC and all other relevant organizations in respect of accounts held in various banks. I also withdraw from being the authorized signatory before the Election Commission of India,” she wrote.
Her resignation comes a day after the rebel TMC faction occupied the party’s rented multi-storey office off the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, saying they represented the “authentic TMC”. People familiar with the matter said Bhattacharya was there at TMC Bhavan at that time and left after a few minutes.
“I have no allegations against anyone. I have a complaint against myself because I may not have been able to maintain the trust. Party president Mamata Banerjee told me that I handed over TMC Bhavan. I am hurt. Who am I to hand over Bhavan?” Bhattacharya said.
“She was a veteran TMC leader and at the same time a long-time minister in the Mamata Banerjee administration. She held several important positions in the government. It is unfortunate that she was not harmed at that time,” TMC spokesman Kunal Ghosh said.
On Friday, the rebel MLA unfurled her own banner, bearing Banerjee’s election symbol, the twin flower, outside the building but did not remove the old banner bearing her image.
Bhattacharya, a veteran TMC leader and a close aide of Banerjee, was recently appointed as the state president of the party to replace veteran party leader Subrata Bakshi who was said to be ill. She held positions in the Mamata Banerjee administration including Finance, Health, Panchayat and Rural Development.
In the two-phase assembly elections in April, the BJP won 208 out of 294 seats, while the TMC got only 80 seats. As many as 58 TMC lawmakers joined the rebel camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee, and were recognized by the Speaker of Parliament on June 3 as the official opposition.
There is speculation that Bhattacharya may join the rebel faction.
She said: “I will not comment. Only time will tell.”
The unprecedented development in Bengali politics – which many see as reflections of the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra – came 29 days after the BJP’s victory. To escape proceedings under the anti-defection law, the dissident group needed 52 multiple military aides.
