New Delhi, August 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, who built her political career on challenging entrenched power and ending the Left Front’s long rule in West Bengal, is facing one of the toughest tests of her leadership after a major rebellion within her party’s legislative wing.
The latest setback came with a Calcutta High Court order refusing interim relief to Banerjee’s faction in its challenge to the appointment of Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. The court allowed Ritabrata to continue in the post for two months or until further orders from the single bench hearing the matter.
The dispute follows the Trinamool Congress’ poor performance in this year’s Assembly elections, in which it won 80 seats in the 294-member House, compared with 208 secured by the BJP.
Ritabrata has emerged as the face of the rebellion, claiming the backing of around 58 of the 80 Trinamool MLAs. Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose recognised his faction’s numerical strength and accepted its resolution proposing Ritabrata as Leader of Opposition, along with Deputy Leaders and a Chief Whip.
The Speaker rejected the claim of Mamata’s nominee, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, on the ground that he did not have the support of enough legislators. Chattopadhyay, an octogenarian and one of the founding members of the Trinamool Congress, has remained a close associate of Mamata since her Congress days.
Although Mamata’s faction continues to retain some senior leaders, the rebellion has exposed deep divisions within the party. Several dissidents have particularly objected to the growing influence of Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP, accusing him of centralising decision-making. The rebel bloc has, however, continued to describe Mamata as its “supreme leader” while distancing itself from Abhishek.
The crisis reflects a combination of electoral disappointment, generational tensions and opposition to centralised authority. For Mamata, rebuilding the organisation and restoring her political influence will require a substantial mobilisation effort.
She has indicated plans to return to the grassroots and invoke her earlier battles against the Left Front and the BJP. Her recent attempts to mobilise supporters on various issues, however, have reportedly failed to generate the response witnessed during her earlier political campaigns.
Mamata is also seeking to revive her role in opposition politics. Her influence within the INDIA bloc has weakened, with the Aam Aadmi Party having moved away from the grouping and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav maintaining an alliance with the Congress ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
This could force Mamata to reassess her earlier reluctance to work closely with the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. She has even reached out to the Left, once her principal political adversary in West Bengal.
The immediate challenge, however, remains within her own party. With the legal battle continuing and the rebel bloc commanding substantial legislative support, the question is whether Mamata can reclaim control of the Trinamool Congress or whether the rebellion will permanently reshape the party she has dominated since its formation.
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