Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: Less than 24 hours have passed, yet disillusionment has already set in! A discordant note has now emerged from within the ranks of the rebel Trinamool MLAs themselves. Consequently, the "New Trinamool"—led by Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha—finds itself in a predicament. Yesterday, Wednesday, upon assuming the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee held a press conference and stated: "I wish to make one thing absolutely clear: our leader is none other than Mamata Banerjee. We desire that she serve as our mentor and advisor, guiding our legislative party. With her presence, we can perform our duties effectively. The 18th Legislative Assembly has absolutely no connection—not even a distant one—with Abhishek Banerjee." While the rebel MLAs had endorsed Ritabrata's statement yesterday, Thursday brings a complete reversal of fortunes. "She is not merely an advisor; Mamata Banerjee is our leader. We wish to recognize her—and only her—as our leader," declared Gulshan Mallick, the Trinamool MLA from Panchla, earlier today. He asserted, "If Mamata Banerjee is not acknowledged as our leader, we will be compelled to explore alternative options." Gulshan's remarks make it abundantly clear that the group is displeased with the comments made by the Leader of the Opposition, Ritabrata Banerjee. In an act of rebellion—and in defiance of the Trinamool Supremo's directives—58 MLAs had independently constituted their own legislative party. Yet, for them, Mamata remains the ultimate leader; they are unwilling to accept anyone else in that capacity. Gulshan Mallick reiterated this stance with unequivocal clarity today. According to sources, several MLAs from the Howrah district convened a meeting at the MLA Hostel earlier today. Attendees included Gulshan Mallick (Panchla), Arup Roy (Howrah Central), Arunabha Sen (Bagnan), and Samir Panja (Udaynarayanpur). It was during this meeting that the collective decision was reached: they desire Mamata as their leader, not merely as an advisor. A faction of the rebel MLAs also hinted that they would contemplate a different course of action should this demand not be met. Sangeet Roy Basunia, the Trinamool MLA from Sitai, echoed these very sentiments.
As the "New Trinamool" stumbles right at the inception of its journey, a wave of speculation has begun to sweep through the political circles of the state.