NEW DELHI: Dola Sen, a key ally of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has lodged two police complaints against the rebel MLAs of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The complaints accuse them of “forgery of the party symbol” and impersonation of the All India Trinamool Congress name. This development follows a meeting led by Ritabrata Banerjee, a dissenting TMC leader, with former councillors in Kolkata, marking their second such gathering within a week.

The complaints further highlighted the “circulation of false documents and electronic communications” by the breakaway faction. There were also accusations regarding “unauthorised meetings” held by the rebels. During the earlier meeting, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, both significant figures in this splinter group, asserted their influence over dissident leaders.

Reportedly, the meeting attracted 47 former TMC councillors from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and was hosted at a private banquet hall in the Topsia area of East Kolkata. The primary aim was to “strengthen the party’s support base in Kolkata” following a disappointing performance in the assembly elections, ahead of the upcoming civic body polls expected later this year.

“We are the real Trinamool Congress. We have the numbers and are the principal opposition in the state assembly. There can be no question about our legitimacy,”

Sandipan Saha, who serves as the deputy leader of the party in the House, stated. He added that the rebel faction has already formed a national working committee, with plans to soon unveil their political programmes.

The West Bengal government had dissolved the KMC board on June 8, mandating all elected councillors, chairpersons, and Mayor-in-Council members to vacate their positions and transferring executive authority to an administrator. This came after Mayor Firhad Hakim, a close aide of Banerjee who appears to have aligned with the rebel faction, resigned. Notably, Hakim was absent from the recent meeting.

“The rebel MLAs are more preoccupied with legal and organisational disputes than with the political battle,”

stated TMC MP Mahua Moitra, a staunch supporter of Banerjee. She emphasized that the TMC symbol was personally created by Banerjee, and its electoral backing is rooted in her leadership rather than the ambitions of individual leaders.

Moitra also reiterated, “The mandate of over 2.6 crore voters in favour of Mamata Banerjee remains intact despite recent defections. The departure of some councillors, MLAs, or MPs does not diminish the party’s public mandate.” She expressed confidence that the party’s support base will remain stable, unaffected by the exit of a limited number of elected representatives.