Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh has accused the BJP-led West Bengal government of "selectively targeting" leaders loyal to Mamata Banerjee while sparing members of the rebel faction within the party, alleging that arrests and investigations are being used as political tools.
Addressing reporters, Ghosh claimed that those aligned with "the Trinamool Congress founded by Mamata Banerjee" were facing harassment through old and new criminal cases, while leaders from the opposing camp were not being subjected to similar action.
"Those who are with Mamata Banerjee, that is, with the TMC that she founded, are being targeted through repression and oppression by being implicated in old cases or other charges, whereas those on the other side are being let off," Ghosh said.
Referring to the Taratala building case, Ghosh questioned the government's approach after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari reportedly said he would examine the signatures related to the project's approval.
"In the Taratala case, if the Chief Minister (Suvendu Adhikari) is asking, 'Let's see whose signatures are there,' then why aren't you arresting them?" he asked, questioning why former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim had not been arrested in connection with the matter.
Rebel faction holds Kolkata meeting
Meanwhile, the rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress, which describes itself as the "real Trinamool," held a meeting with former councillors in Kolkata as it continued efforts to consolidate its organisation following the announcement of a new leadership structure on June 22.
Former councillor Debalina Biswas said the meeting had been convened by the newly constituted board of the All India Trinamool Congress and focused on issues affecting former councillors.
"A new board for the All India Trinamool Congress, which was formed on June 22, called a meeting today. I was invited as this meeting was for former councillors. The discussion focused on the issues faced by the ex-councillors in their respective areas," Biswas said.
Rebel MLA claims majority support
Expelled TMC MLA Sandipan Saha, who is part of the rebel bloc, claimed the meeting was aimed at strengthening the faction's organisational network and asserted that it enjoyed the backing of a majority of the party's elected representatives.
"We held a meeting in Kolkata to strengthen our organisation. Councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation attended. We are the main opposition party; most MLAs are with us, as are the former councillors. Those who have been leading are with us. This makes it clear who will lead the TMC in the future," Saha said.
The rebel camp has claimed the support of 58 of the party's 80 MLAs, though this figure has not been independently verified.
New leadership structure
The faction, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, unveiled a new leadership structure for the All India Trinamool Congress on June 22, appointing Arup Roy as chairperson and constituting a 30-member National Working Committee.
The group has said that Mamata Banerjee should remain a "mentor" to the party but should no longer lead it. The committee includes Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Rathin Ghosh, Sabina Yasmin, Javed Khan and Sandipan Saha, with Hakim, Biswas, Rathin Ghosh and Sabina Yasmin named as vice-presidents.
20 MPs announce merger
In a separate development that has further intensified the political turmoil, 20 Trinamool Congress MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The move was announced independently of the rebel faction's restructuring but adds to the widening divisions within the party.
