Three Ritabrata camp MLAs join Mamata faction's protest in Bengal Assembly premises

The widening organisational rift within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) threw up an intriguing political signal on Monday when three MLAs aligned with the rebel Ritabrata Banerjee camp joined a protest led by the Mamata Banerjee-backed faction inside the West Bengal Assembly premises.

Metiabruz MLA Abdul Khaleque Molla, Basirhat MLA Tausifur Rahman and Baruipur East MLA Bibhas Sardar joined the Mamata Banerjee-led faction’s protest against the alleged attack on the former CM's convoy, highlighting the complex equations within the party where organisational allegiance and loyalty to its supremo are not necessarily moving in tandem.

The three MLAs were among the 65 of the party's 80 legislators who had earlier backed Ritabrata Banerjee's claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition, challenging the nominee supported by the Kalighat leadership.

Explaining his presence at Monday's protest, Tausifur said his political allegiance to Mamata Banerjee remained distinct from the ongoing organisational dispute.

"Wherever Didi is, I am there. Without Mamata Didi's picture, I would not have got even 500 votes," he said.

Bibhas said every MLA elected on the TMC symbol should protest the incident.

"Our leader has been attacked. I strongly condemn it. We won on Mamata's symbol. All 80 Trinamool MLAs should protest against this," he said.

Khaleque too drew a distinction between his position in the internal dispute and his response to the incident.

"I am with Ritabrata, but I am protesting the attack on Mamata," he said.

What triggered the protest

The immediate trigger for the protest was Sunday's confrontation in Kanchrapara, where Mamata had gone to meet the family of Birju Keot, the husband of a resigned TMC councillor, who died in police custody.

During the visit, protesters allegedly hurled mud and a slipper at her vehicle and raised "chor-chor" slogans.

Mamata Banerjee subsequently accused the state government and police of protecting "lumpens" and alleged that her life had been endangered.

"Police are protecting the BJP. Bengal has gone into the hands of lumpens," she had said, alleging that she could have suffered a serious injury.

The BJP rejected the allegations, claiming that the former chief minister had gone to Kanchrapara to provoke people and that the public had merely protested.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari took a swipe at Mamata, saying, "You have committed so much corruption, you have to hear 'chor'."

Kalighat camp demands arrests

The Kalighat camp's protest was led by senior leaders including Kunal Ghosh, Sovan Deb Chattopadhyay, Ashok Deb and Biman Banerjee.

The protesters demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the alleged attack.

"Those who attacked her are being protected by the government. They must be arrested immediately. Mamata Banerjee cannot be stopped by intimidation," Ghosh said.

The protest was not confined to the Assembly complex. Kalighat Trinamool workers staged demonstrations at several places across the state, with police stopping a procession at Hazra and arresting around 30 protesters.

"The movement against the barbaric attack on Mamata Banerjee by the BJP will continue," TMC leader Baishwanar Chattopadhyay said.

TMC split deepens after election defeat

The unusual appearance of the three rebel-camp MLAs at the protest comes at a particularly sensitive juncture for the Trinamool, which has been grappling with an unprecedented organisational split following its defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections.

What began as a challenge over the leadership of the Opposition has steadily expanded into a broader contest over control of the party's organisation and its elected representatives.

The Ritabrata camp subsequently held a special organisational session, elected senior MLA Arup Roy as its chairperson and announced a parallel national leadership structure, arguing that the existing leadership had lost the confidence of a majority of elected representatives.

Rebel camps now face a bigger test

The confrontation has since spilt into Parliament, with 20 Trinamool Lok Sabha MPs aligning themselves with the newly floated National Congress Party of India (NCPI), now an NDA ally. Petitions seeking their disqualification under the anti-defection law are pending before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

Against this backdrop, the decision of three legislators who had publicly backed Ritabrata's leadership bid to stand alongside the Mamata camp in a politically charged protest offers a glimpse into the complicated nature of the Trinamool split.

For the moment, the TMC's split therefore appears less like two watertight camps and more like a contest in which organisational allegiance, legislative arithmetic and Mamata's personal political brand are pulling in different directions.