'Only A Signboard Will Be Left': Rebel Leader Riju Dutta Warns TMC Faces Collapse After 58 MLAs Defect From Mamata Camp

The political ground in West Bengal is shifting rapidly. Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is confronting a massive rebellion from within her own ranks after expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Ritabrata Banerjee claimed that 58 party MLAs have chosen him as the new Leader of the Opposition.

Adding weight to the rebellion, another expelled TMC leader, Riju Dutta, cautioned that the party risks being reduced to a mere "signboard" if top leadership continues to ignore the widening internal rift. This sudden maneuver has sparked intense speculation about a formal split in the party following its bruising defeat in the recent state elections.

The Numbers Behind the Rebellion

According to Riju Dutta, the decision to elevate Ritabrata Banerjee followed a strict legal framework, leaving very little room to challenge its legitimacy. He noted that support for Ritabrata within the party's legislative wing is expanding steadily.

Dutta claimed that 58 out of the TMC’s remaining 80 MLAs have officially backed the rebel leader. While these lawmakers reportedly still hold deep respect for Mamata Banerjee as the ultimate party figurehead, a vast majority are fiercely resisting the leadership of her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.

Blaming Abhishek Banerjee for fostering a toxic "boss culture," Dutta indicated that widespread anger over his management style is driving the current mutiny. He warned that if Mamata Banerjee fails to see the gravity of the crisis, the TMC could face political irrelevance, ending up as nothing more than a "signboard".

A Sharply Diminished High Command

This leadership crisis hits the TMC at its lowest point in years. The party's presence in the state assembly plummeted from over 200 seats down to a fragile group of just 80 MLAs in the latest election cycle.

Mamata Banerjee's personal electoral loss to Suvendu Adhikari in the Bhabanipur constituency has further dented her authority, giving internal critics the leverage they needed to push back.

In a direct challenge to the high command, the rebel MLAs have already submitted formal letters of support to the Assembly Speaker, officially naming Ritabrata Banerjee as their leader. Though the TMC recently expelled both Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha to assert control, the swift disciplinary action has completely failed to halt the spreading defiance.