Expelled Trinamool Congress leader Riju Dutta claims more than 50 of the party's 80 MLAs are ready to declare themselves the "real" TMC, as Mamata Banerjee leads a protest in Kolkata against alleged post-poll attacks on party leaders.

Rebel Faction Sharpens Claims

The Trinamool Congress is facing its most serious internal challenge in years, with expelled party leader Riju Dutta claiming that over 50 of the party's 80 MLAs are prepared to break away and declare themselves the legitimate face of the All India Trinamool Congress. The rebel group is also said to be seeking the Leader of Opposition post and the party symbol — moves that could trigger a formal split and a prolonged legal battle over the party's identity.

West Bengal minister Tapas Roy added fuel to the fire on Tuesday, saying plainly: "The party will break, which it should." His remarks, made amid an ongoing session of the state legislature, were among the most candid acknowledgements yet from within TMC ranks that the crisis may be irreversible.

Mamata Takes to the Streets

Even as the split speculation mounted, TMC Chairperson and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was on the ground in Kolkata, leading a sit-in protest at Rani Rashmoni Avenue against alleged post-poll violence targeting party leaders. Before arriving at the protest site, she paid floral tributes to B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi on Red Road — a deliberate symbolic gesture, observers noted, ahead of what the party is framing as a democratic rights protest.

Several senior TMC figures were present at the site, including newly appointed Leader of Opposition Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Indranil Sen, and MP Kalyan Banerjee, who had earlier met Mamata at her Kalighat residence.

Abhishek Banerjee Among Those Allegedly Targeted

At the heart of the TMC's protest is the alleged assault on party National General Secretary and Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee. According to party leaders, a crowd attacked Abhishek and threw eggs at him — an incident the TMC says is emblematic of a wider pattern of politically motivated violence against its representatives in the wake of the state assembly elections.

Kalyan Banerjee, a senior TMC MP, was also said to have been targeted. The party has demanded strict police action and accused the state's new administration of allowing — and in some cases facilitating — the attacks.

Mamata Hits Out at Police, EVMs

Addressing supporters at the protest, Mamata Banerjee levelled serious allegations against law enforcement. "Cops are threatening our leaders. The CP of Chandannagar called our leader and asked him to resign, otherwise he would be arrested," she said, claiming TMC leaders across the state were being picked up in what she described as false cases.

She also renewed her challenge to the election results, alleging that the BJP had rigged counting in 177 of 294 assembly seats. "The EVMs have been hacked. We are maintaining peace, but the government is promoting lawlessness," she said. West Bengal's new Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, speaking separately on Tuesday, did not respond directly to the fraud allegations but issued statements on cultural nationalism, saying recitation of Vande Mataram had been made mandatory in all state schools.

Assembly Appointments, Speaker Standoff

The TMC moved to formalise its role in the new assembly on Tuesday, submitting appointments for its legislative team. Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay has been named Leader of Opposition, with Ashima Patra and Nayana Bandopadhyay as Deputy Leaders, and Firhad Hakim as Chief Whip.

However, the process hit a bureaucratic snag almost immediately. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said that when he and Ashima Patra went to the Speaker's office to submit the letter, the Speaker was absent. The office secretary reportedly told them the Speaker had verbally instructed that no letter be received. "What kind of custodian of democracy is the Speaker?" Ghosh said.

What Comes Next

The coming days are likely to be decisive. If the rebel MLAs formally declare their faction the "real" Trinamool and stake a claim to the party's symbol, the matter will move to the Election Commission — a process that can take months and has historically torn parties apart. For now, Mamata's counter-move appears to be keeping her core loyalists visible and vocal while the expulsion of rebel leaders signals she is not in a mood for negotiation.

The protesters marched to the Deputy High Commission and staged a peaceful dharna outside the premises, prompting authorities to deploy heavy security in the area to prevent any untoward incident. A delegation representing the protesters submitted a six-point memorandum to the authorities.

The memorandum demanded strict punishment for those responsible for the alleged lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Dhaka, action against police personnel accused of negligence, and concrete assurances for the safety of minority Hindus and their religious places in Bangladesh. It also called for firm action against individuals spreading rumours that could incite violence.

Addressing the gathering, Suvendu Adhikari said the protest was aimed at drawing international attention to what he described as a pattern of targeted violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. “This is a peaceful protest by saints and citizens. But if such atrocities do not stop, nearly five lakh sadhus who will attend the Gangasagar Mela may also join the agitation,” he warned.

The protest follows reports of multiple incidents in Bangladesh in recent days. On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das was allegedly lynched by a mob in Dhaka. In another case, Amrit Mandal was reportedly beaten to death in Rajbari district on December 24 following an alleged dispute over extortion.

Meanwhile, tensions have begun to reflect in border areas of West Bengal. In Siliguri, the Greater Siliguri Hoteliers Welfare Association has announced a ban on accommodating Bangladeshi citizens in hotels until further notice, citing security concerns and national interest. Hotel owners in Malda district are also considering a similar step.

The developments underscore growing public unease amid strained India-Bangladesh relations and calls for stronger diplomatic engagement on minority safety.