BJP’s Tapas Roy Predicts Possible Split in Trinamool Amid Growing Internal Turmoil

Kolkata: Senior BJP leader and West Bengal minister Tapas Roy on Tuesday hinted at a possible split within the All India Trinamool Congress, citing growing unrest in the party following the expulsion of MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha.

In a social media post, Roy claimed that the Trinamool Congress was facing a deep internal crisis and suggested that the political developments in West Bengal could resemble the split witnessed in Maharashtra under the leadership of Eknath Shinde.

“Trinamool Congress is in disarray. The situation is similar to what happened in Maharashtra,” Roy wrote, indicating that a significant number of Trinamool legislators could potentially break away from the party.

According to Roy’s claim, around 50 legislators could align with a rebel faction. With the Trinamool Congress currently holding 80 seats in the Assembly, such a move would give the rebels a substantial majority within the party's legislative wing.

Political observers note that if such a large group were to split from the party, they could seek recognition as the majority faction before Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose. In that scenario, the group loyal to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee could find itself in the minority within the legislative party.

The speculation comes amid visible signs of unrest within the Trinamool Congress. On May 31, a meeting convened by Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence reportedly had low attendance, with a majority of the party’s MLAs staying away, leading to its cancellation.

The recent expulsion of Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha has further fueled discussions about divisions within the party. As Mamata Banerjee returns to public campaigning following her party’s heavy defeat in the recent Assembly elections, questions are being raised about the level of support she continues to command within the organization.

While Roy’s remarks have intensified political speculation, no official statement has been issued by the Trinamool Congress regarding any possible split, and the party leadership has not responded to the claims.

With inputs from IANS