Politics

TMC Rebels Oust Mamata Banerjee, Appoint Arup Roy as New Party Chief

West Bengal's Trinamool Congress faces a deepening leadership crisis as rebels restructure the party and elevate Arup Roy

PGurus Newsdesk

June 22, 2026

The rebel Trinamool faction unveils a new leadership structure as the power struggle within West Bengal's ruling party intensifies

The dissident faction announced a new party structure while offering Mamata Banerjee an advisory role

The political crisis within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) deepened on Monday as the party’s rebel faction formally removed Mamata Banerjee from the top organisational position and appointed senior leader Arup Roy as the new chairperson of what it described as the “real” Trinamool Congress.

The move marks the most significant challenge to Mamata Banerjee‘s leadership since she founded the party nearly three decades ago and comes amid an ongoing rebellion that has already fractured the TMC’s legislative and parliamentary wings.

The dissident camp, led by Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, announced the decision after a meeting of rebel legislators and party leaders. The faction also unveiled a newly constituted National Working Committee aimed at reorganising the party’s structure following weeks of internal turmoil.

Arup Roy, a veteran Trinamool leader and multiple-term MLA from Howrah Madhya, has emerged as one of the most prominent faces of the rebellion. He was among the legislators who backed the revolt against the existing leadership and has now been entrusted with leading the reorganised faction.

Rebels offer Mamata advisory role

Despite removing Mamata Banerjee from direct control of the organisation, rebel leaders stopped short of completely sidelining her.

The dissident faction indicated that Mamata could continue to play a role as a “chief adviser” to the party, a proposal that appears aimed at balancing respect for the party founder with demands for organisational change.

The suggestion mirrors earlier proposals from sections of the rebel camp that sought to retain Mamata Banerjee’s symbolic stature while transferring operational control to a new leadership team.

Rebellion gathers momentum

The latest development follows a dramatic split in the TMC earlier this month when 58 MLAs broke ranks and backed Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. The rebels subsequently secured recognition from the Assembly Speaker, significantly strengthening their claim to represent the majority of the legislature party.

The crisis later spread to Parliament, where a large group of Trinamool MPs announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and sought recognition as a separate bloc. Rebel MPs claimed the support of more than two-thirds of the party’s Lok Sabha strength.

Battle for control continues

The organisational shake-up is the latest chapter in an escalating power struggle that has engulfed the TMC since its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

In recent weeks, Mamata Banerjee has carried out multiple reshuffles within the party organisation in an attempt to consolidate control, replacing several leaders accused of siding with the dissident camp.

Political observers say the appointment of Arup Roy and the formation of a new National Working Committee signal that the rebels are preparing for a prolonged battle over the future of the Trinamool Congress, including claims over the party’s identity, leadership and organisational structure.

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