Rebels Are the 'Real Trinamool': Speaker Approves Ritabrata's Letter!

Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency: An Unprecedented Event in the Assembly. Approval Granted Based on a Letter from Dissident MLAs. The State Legislative Assembly (Bidhansabha) has accorded the status of 'Opposition Party' to the 58-member 'group' belonging to the Trinamool Congress! On Wednesday, Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose took this unprecedented decision. The Assembly Secretary, Soumendra Nath Das, has already handed over the keys to the Leader of the Opposition's chamber to Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay. Following his election as the State's Leader of the Opposition, Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay held a press conference. There, he stated that while he currently holds the consent of 58 MLAs, he also enjoys the support of two additional legislators; therefore, it would be more accurate to consider the total count as 60. He hinted that this number could potentially increase in the future. Effective immediately, his four deputies are Javed Khan, Sabina Yasmin, Sandipan Saha, and Shiuli Saha, with Akheruzzaman serving as the Chief Whip.

Ritabrata stated unequivocally: "From today, we begin our journey as the Opposition Party. We will fulfill the role of a responsible opposition. We will oppose any errors committed by the government, both inside and outside the Legislative Assembly. However, we will not oppose merely for the sake of opposition; if something positive occurs, we will extend our support to it as well. We will hold parliamentary party meetings to deliberate on all matters and determine our course of action." Furthermore, Ritabrata and his associates have issued a clear message regarding the identity of the leader of their 58—or 60—member 'group.'

MLA Akheruzzaman stated: "Our leader is Mamata Banerjee. We harbor absolutely no doubts on this matter. Moreover, we remain Trinamool MLAs; let no one harbor any skepticism regarding this fact." However, addressing the prolonged turmoil surrounding the selection of the Leader of the Opposition, Akheruzzaman remarked: "We were summoned on two separate occasions and duly visited Kalighat. Yet, when it came to the actual selection of the Leader of the Opposition, our views and suggestions were completely disregarded." "Moreover, the manner in which signatures were forged in the name of a resolution is truly shameful."

Earlier in the day, following an administrative meeting held at Nabanna with MLAs from three districts—Kolkata, South 24 Parganas, and Howrah—Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the Legislative Assembly. According to sources, she visited Speaker Rathindra Bose's chamber within the Assembly premises, where she met with these disgruntled Trinamool MLAs. Significantly, shortly after this meeting, the Speaker gave his approval to the letter submitted by Ritabrata Banerjee.

As previously mentioned, the architect behind this entire episode was the MLA from Uluberia, Ritabrata Banerjee. His key facilitator in this endeavor was the MLA from Entally—and son of Swarnakamal Saha—Sandipan Saha. Fundamentally, the controversy stemmed from a letter regarding the selection of the Leader of the Opposition. Allegations soon surfaced regarding the forgery of signatures belonging to Trinamool MLAs. Subsequently, the direction in which this matter unfolded is now known to all. One after another, a section of MLAs from Mamata Banerjee's party began to voice their grievances. As a result, Wednesday witnessed the emergence of a 'New Trinamool' within the Legislative Assembly, comprising a group of 60 members.