TMC’s Chandrima Bhattacharya resigns as party’s Bengal chief a month after appointment

In another setback for the Mamata Banerjee faction in the Trinamool Congress, the party’s West Bengal state president Chandrima Bhattacharya resigned from her post on Saturday, June 4, 2026, just a month after she was entrusted with the critical organizational responsibility in the wake of the party’s Assembly election debacle.

In a letter addressed to the Trinamool Congress chief, Bhattacharya also renounced all other posts he had held in the party, triggering speculations on whether he had severed ties for all practical purposes with the Mamata Banerjee-led wing of the party.

Also Read | Trinamool infighting escalates as Ritabrata-led camp ‘takes control’ of party headquarters

Ms. Bhattacharya was elected state president, replacing senior leader Subrata Bakshi, at the party’s national working committee meeting held at Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence on June 3.

He also withdrew from being the authorized signatory of the accounts of the TMC and its affiliates maintained in various banks and from being Mamata Banerjee’s authorized person to conduct the affairs of the party before the Election Commission of India.

Ms. Bhattacharya, a former minister in the erstwhile Mamata Banerjee government (who, as Minister of State, was in charge of key departments such as Finance and Health and was a prominent leader leading the women’s wing of the party), had remained one of the TMC supremo’s closest aides and her long-term partner.

In his resignation letter, he said, “Finally, I would like to state that I have my deepest respect for you and will always remain respectful.”

Speaking to reporters, Ms. Bhattacharya later revealed that her decision was triggered by Banerjee’s warning over the phone and accused her of “allowing the party’s rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee to take control of the party’s Trinamool Bhavan operations center in Kolkata.”

Ms. Bhattacharya was in her office when the rebel group led by Ritabrata entered Trinamool Bhavan on Friday, June 3, 2026, but left the building soon after. Rebel group leaders held a meeting at the facility before changing the locks on the main gate and announcing that they would operate from the building from now on.

“I was deeply hurt when Mamata Banerjee called me to tell me that I had handed over the party office to them (rebels), but I don’t know how I did it. It is clear that my loyalty and credibility have been shaken to their roots. This has never happened in the past. When these basic binding forces are gone, there is no reason for me to stay in the party or return to the party,” Ms. Bhattacharya told reporters.

Asked if she would join the rebel camp, Ms. Bhattacharya said, “There is more to life than this. I have not yet decided on the route I will take.”

Ms. Bhattacharya, however, refused to comment on the deepening factional fights within the party and which side she supported, citing that “the matter remains to be decided either before the Election Commission or the court.”

Minutes later, Ms. Bhattacharya was seen sitting in a meeting with rebel camp leaders in Opposition Leader Ritabrata Banerjee’s chambers in the state legislature. Ms. Bhattacharya was welcomed at the meeting gate by Sandipan Saha, the deputy leader of the opposition and a leading member of the rebel camp.

Ms. Bhattacharya’s move comes a few weeks after her son Sourav Basu, a former Kolkata Municipal Corporation councilor of the TMC, joined the rebel camp and attended its meetings. Mr. Basu was also seen in the State assembly meeting.

TMC MLA and Mamata loyalist Kunal Ghosh took a jibe at the opposition leader and said, “I will not comment in detail on the new development. But I will say this: His (Bhattacharya’s) self-confidence was never hurt when Mamata Banerjee gave him the responsibilities of important departments in the government. This came to light only after the party lost the elections.”

Ms. Bhattacharya, a three-time State MLA, was humiliated by BJP’s Sourav Sikdar in Dum Dum Uttar constituency in the 2026 Assembly elections.

His relinquishment of party positions comes at a time when the Trinamool Congress has seen a steady erosion of its top leadership since its shock defeat in the 2026 assembly elections.

Among the most prominent exits was former Kolkata Mayor and senior Minister Firhad Hakim, who joined the rebel camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee.

Senior MLA Jawed Khan and senior leader Golam Rabbani have also sided with the opposition group, while 20 of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs have joined a breakaway group seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary bloc after merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India and supporting the NDA.

The rebellion turned into an organizational crisis, with the opposition camp laying claim to the party’s headquarters, symbol and funds, prompting the Election Commission to initiate proceedings into the dispute.

It was published – 04 July 2026 14:46 IST