TMC accuses rival faction of illegally seizing party headquarters in Kolkata

The Trinamool Congress finds itself embroiled in an internal power struggle after a rival faction, led by expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, seized control of the party's Kolkata headquarters. Party leadership has denounced the occupiers as 'criminal trespassers' and pledged to pursue court action to reclaim the premises.

TMC officials claim that the breakaway group unlawfully locked down the party office with alleged assistance from state police, raising accusations of a coordinated conspiracy involving the opposition BJP. The party has characterised this as a serious breach of law and an attack on democratic institutions. Party representatives stated they would exhaust all legal remedies to restore control of the headquarters and protect party interests.

The seizure represents an escalation in the bitter factional dispute that has divided the Trinamool Congress. Ritabrata Banerjee, who was expelled from the party, now leads the dissident faction seeking to establish itself as the legitimate face of the organisation. The rebel group has taken a provocative step further by filing claims with the Election Commission to stake ownership of the party's name and electoral symbol, challenging the sitting leadership's authority.

This internal fracture threatens to complicate TMC's political positioning in West Bengal. A weakened, divided party could lose ground to rival political forces and diminish its influence in state governance. The party's grassroots workers and supporters face confusion about which faction represents authentic TMC interests, potentially denting organisational cohesion ahead of future electoral contests.

The Election Commission will now examine the competing claims over the party's name and symbol, a process that could take weeks or months. Meanwhile, TMC leadership is preparing to file police complaints and initiate legal proceedings to remove the occupiers from the headquarters. The court battle is expected to become a high-profile case testing the strength of rival claims within the party structure and the role of law enforcement in internal party disputes.