Team Ritabrata ready to join INDIA bloc, but sets 'remove Mamata' condition

Amid the ongoing political tussle over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress (DTC) has expressed its willingness to join the Opposition INDIA bloc, but with a condition — Mamata Banerjee must be removed from the alliance.

DTC chief whip Md Akhruzzaman has urged senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi to consider excluding Mamata Banerjee from the Opposition grouping, accusing the West Bengal leader of working in a manner that, according to him, benefits the BJP.advertisement❮❯ Read Full Story‘MAMATA MUST BE EXCLUDED’Akhruzzaman alleged that Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has acted as a “B-team” of the BJP and claimed that the party has, on several occasions, helped the ruling party in Parliament by either remaining absent or walking out during crucial votes.

He also accused the TMC of weakening Opposition unity during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to Akhruzzaman, Mamata prevented Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from campaigning in West Bengal and attacked him during the election campaign.

“Whenever the fight against the BJP intensifies, she steps away from the coalition,” Akhruzzaman said, arguing that voters had seen through what he described as the TMC’s “duplicity”.

He said the Opposition bloc should decide whether it wants to mount a “genuine battle” against the BJP.

“If the coalition leadership removes her, Democratic Trinamool Congress is ready to join and strengthen the hands of the alliance,” Akhruzzaman said.

The statement comes amid an unprecedented split within the Trinamool Congress following the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election.

The internal rebellion became public in June after expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee emerged as the leader of a large group of party legislators.

The rebel camp claimed the backing of more than two-thirds of the TMC’s MLAs in the Assembly and secured recognition from the Speaker, with Ritabrata being recognised as Leader of the Opposition. Akhruzzaman was named chief whip of the rebel legislative bloc.

The faction subsequently challenged Mamata Banerjee’s control over the organisation. In June, the rebel camp named senior MLA Arup Roy as chairperson and sought to establish a parallel organisational structure, while Mamata’s camp rejected the moves and continued to claim control of the party.FACTION GETS SEPARATE PARTY NAME

The dispute later reached the Election Commission over the TMC’s name and election symbol. In September, the poll panel barred both rival factions from using the original All India Trinamool Congress name and its traditional symbol for the upcoming West Bengal bypolls.

The Mamata faction was allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the football-player symbol, while the Ritabrata-led faction was allotted Democratic Trinamool Congress and the envelope symbol.

The Supreme Court has since directed the Election Commission to resolve the dispute over the TMC’s name and symbol within three months.

Akhruzzaman’s latest remarks indicate that the Ritabrata-led faction is seeking to position itself separately from Mamata Banerjee while keeping open the possibility of joining the broader Opposition alliance.- Ends

Tapas Sengupta is a senior investigative journalist based in Kolkata, also reports actively on socio-political issues, human rights violations, and conflict  across India. He is a Defence Correspondent and having experience of covering major conflicts across all the borders of India since last 17 years. He is an experienced broadcast journalist