TMC in crisis: Dankuni municipal board collapses, leaders face jeers

The TMC board in Dankuni Municipality collapsed after its chairman and others resigned, amid a wider crisis in the party. A rebel faction, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, also attempted to take over the party's Kolkata headquarters.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led board at Dankuni Municipality in Hooghly district collapsed on Wednesday after Chairman Hasina Shabnam and Vice-Chairman Prakash Raha resigned from their posts, along with two other councillors. As the four leaders left the municipality building, slogans of "chor, chor" (thief, thief) were raised by those present, creating a chaotic scene. The development in Dankuni adds to a wider crisis that has gripped TMC across West Bengal in recent months follwoing the Assembly Elections.

Earlier in May, West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul criticised the Trinamool Congress, alleging that the absence of elected councillors from municipal offices across West Bengal is disrupting basic civic services and affecting day-to-day administration. Referring to TMC councillors who have resigned or remained absent from office, Paul termed it "irresponsible" and accused them of neglecting public duties despite being in office for years.

Internal Rebellion and Alternative Leadership

The unrest within Trinamool's organisational structure has not been confined to the municipal level. A rebel faction within the party, headed by Ritabrata Banerjee, recently announced an alternative leadership structure for the All India Trinamool Congress Committee, with the group claiming the backing of a majority of the party's MLAs.

Dramatic Takeover of Party Headquarters

Meanwhile, heavy CRPF and Kolkata Police deployment outside the party's Metropolitan state office earlier. The lockdown followed claims that a rebel group led by Ritabrata Banerjee had taken control of the headquarters. The move came a day after the dissident bloc petitioned the Election Commission in New Delhi, claiming the 28-year-old party's name, funds, and twin-flower symbol.

Accompanied by Firhad Hakim, Javed Khan, and Akhruzzaman, Banerjee entered the EM Bypass office, the party's nerve centre since 2022, to assert control. The rebels replaced signage and put up a banner naming senior MLA Arup Roy as the new chairman, in place of Mamata Banerjee. The faction said the building's lease had expired and a new agreement was signed under their working committee.

The dramatic takeover triggered immediate fury from the camp loyal to Mamata Banerjee, prompting senior leaders to hit the streets and lodge emergency police complaints. With Kolkata Police announcing that they will verify the official ownership and lease documents of the building before allowing regular political activities to resume, the immediate battlefield shifts to New Delhi. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)