TMC’s bizarre divide: ‘Rebel’ MLAs join Mamata camp in Assembly protest

Three 'rebel' MLAs aligned with the Ritabrata Banerjee camp of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) joined hands with 'original' TMC leaders loyal to former chief minister Mamata Banerjee inside the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, 10 August to protest the attack on Banerjee’s convoy on Sunday.

The sight itself was striking enough. But the statements that followed made the political situation even more bizarre.

The three MLAs — Basirhat North’s Tausifur Rahman, Khidirpur’s Abdul Khalek Molla and Baruipur East’s Bibhas Sardar — are considered close to the Ritabrata faction, which is locked in a political tussle with the Kalighat camp (so called because of Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence) over control of the TMC, its identity and its election symbol.

Yet there they were, standing alongside Kunal Ghosh, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Nayana Bandyopadhyay and other Kalighat leaders, protesting an attack on Mamata Banerjee. More significantly, none of the three appeared to regard their factional alignment as incompatible with their loyalty to Mamata.

Sardar put it bluntly: “An attack has been launched against our leader. I strongly protest this. I won the election under Mamata Banerjee’s symbol. All 80 Trinamool members should protest this.”

Molla was even more explicit about the apparent contradiction. “I'm protesting the attack on our leader’s car. I belong to the Ritabrata faction, but I'm protesting against the attack on her,” he said.

Rahman perhaps summed up the peculiar politics best. “Wherever Didi is, there I am. I wouldn’t get even ten votes in Basirhat without her picture,” he said.

In other words, the factional battle may be over who controls the TMC, but for at least some of those on the Ritabrata side, there appears to be little appetite to separate the party from Mamata Banerjee herself.

‘Didi is our leader, but we are in Ritabrata camp’

Rahman’s remarks also shed light on the confusion within the so-called rebel camp. He referred to an earlier understanding within the Ritabrata faction that Mamata would eventually be made chairperson. “Our Ritabrata camp was told that Mamata-di would become the chairperson. But despite the constant promises that it would happen ‘today’ or ‘tomorrow’, it never materialised,” he said.

The contradiction is difficult to miss. The Ritabrata camp is challenging the Kalighat camp’s claim over the TMC, while its own MLAs are publicly acknowledging Mamata as the party’s indispensable leader — and, in Rahman’s case, admitting that his own political standing is closely tied to her image.

The dispute over the party’s identity and symbol is pending before the Election Commission. Monday’s events, however, suggested that the divide may be considerably messier than the formal factional battle indicates.

The immediate trigger for the unusual show of unity was Sunday’s incident in Halisahar, where Mamata Banerjee had gone after the death of Birju Keot, a Trinamool worker who died in police custody.

Police had arrested Keot on Friday night on allegations of extortion and brawling. His family, however, alleged that he had been murdered in custody. According to the family, Keot appeared to be in good health when his wife visited him in jail. Police later said he was found unwell inside the lock-up in the early hours. His death triggered anger and protests in Halisahar.

During Banerjee’s visit on Sunday, protesters allegedly hurled water, mud, bricks and shoes at her car. Slogans accusing her of being a “thief and queen of bandits” were also raised.

Banerjee strongly condemned the incident. “We strongly condemn this. The BJP threw bricks. Look at the condition of the car. Bengal has fallen into the hands of goons,” she said.

The Kalighat camp subsequently turned the incident into an Assembly protest. Ghosh, Chattopadhyay and Bandyopadhyay were among those seen holding anti-BJP posters, with Ghosh demanding immediate action against those responsible. “The government is abetting those who carried out the attack. They must be arrested immediately and identified. Mamata Banerjee cannot be stopped through intimidation,” Ghosh said.