In a sharp twist in West Bengal’s ongoing Trinamool Congress civil war, Amdanga MLA Mohammad Kasem Siddiqui has publicly abandoned the rebel faction led by Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee and returned to the fold of party founder Mamata Banerjee.
The Pirzada, who represents the North 24 Parganas constituency, announced his decision at a press conference on Monday. He insisted he had never truly left “Didi” and claimed he was deliberately misled into joining the breakaway group.
“We were told to sign (the document) and that the signature would reach Didi. We are with Didi and will remain with her,” Siddiqui said. He added that the rebels had assured him the faction would continue to function under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership. Once inside, however, he found no reference to her at all. “When we went there, there was no mention of Didi. She is everything for us. We know Didi. She gave us the ticket and sent us to the Assembly. We sought votes with her picture and people voted for us seeing her. We are with Didi and will remain with her as long as we are here.”
Siddiqui’s return comes months after the TMC suffered a heavy defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections. The setback triggered a dramatic split. A large group of legislators - roughly 58 to 60 of the party’s 80 MLAs - broke away, elected Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition, and began describing themselves as the “real” Trinamool. The rebels argued they still recognised Mamata Banerjee as the overall party head while rejecting the influence of her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. The Speaker recognised their claim, formalising the division inside the legislature.
Siddiqui, a relatively recent entrant who was made a state general secretary after joining the TMC and was fielded from Amdanga, had been among those who moved with the rebels. He now says the assurances given to him proved false and that his loyalty has always rested with Mamata Banerjee.
The development is being watched closely as the two camps continue to battle for legitimacy, control of the opposition space, and the party’s future identity. Whether Siddiqui’s “ghar wapsi” encourages others to follow remains to be seen, but it delivers an early public setback to the Ritabrata-led faction
