KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Sunday lodged two separate complaints against rebel MLAs led by Ritabrata Banerjee, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly, escalating the ongoing battle between the two rival groups for control of the party.
Dola Sen, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP belonging to the Mamata Banerjee camp, lodged separate complaints at the Kalighat and New Town police stations against the dissident legislators led by Ritabrata Banerjee, accusing them of using the party's name, symbol and organisational designations to mislead party workers and supporters.
With Sunday's police complaints, the battle between the Trinamool Congress faction led by Mamata Banerjee and the breakaway group owing allegiance to Ritabrata Banerjee, the party MLA from Uluberia Purba in Howrah, is set to enter a legal phase. Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose has recognised Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition, considering the support of 58 dissident MLAs.
The complaint lodged at the Kalighat police station names Ritabrata Banerjee along with several other dissident MLAs, including Arup Roy, Javed Kha, Sandipan Saha and Biplab Mitra. The complaint was filed by Dola Sen, a close aide of Mamata Banerjee.
According to sources, the complaint filed at the New Town police station urged the police to identify those who masterminded the meeting of the dissident MLAs and Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillors led by Ritabrata Banerjee.
In its complaint at the New Town police station, the Mamata Banerjee camp also sought an investigation into the source of funds allegedly being used for organising meetings, printing publicity material and running social media campaigns in the party's name.
The loyalist faction also challenged the validity of the organisational positions claimed by the rebel leaders. It referred to a recent communication by Ritabrata Banerjee to Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose in which he described himself as the party's "general secretary", a designation which, according to the Mamata Banerjee camp, has never been conferred upon him by the organisation.
At a meeting held at a luxury hotel in New Town, the dissident MLAs constituted a 30-member national working committee, claiming themselves to be the "real Trinamool". Arup Roy was appointed chairman of the committee, replacing Mamata Banerjee as chairperson of the Trinamool Congress and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee as the party's national general secretary.
"Anyone can lodge a complaint anywhere. Laws and the Election Commission still exist in the country. We have faith in the law and the Election Commission of India," Ritabrata Banerjee told the media.
The move by the Mamata Banerjee camp marks a sharp escalation in the month-long struggle within the party following its Assembly poll debacle, with both camps increasingly relying on legal and organisational measures to establish their claim over the party's legacy and structure.
On Saturday, the Ritabrata Banerjee camp held another gathering in Kolkata's Topsia area, attended by 47 former Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillors. Political observers viewed the meeting as a concerted effort to strengthen its urban support base ahead of the civic polls likely later this year.
Notably, banners and signages at both meetings prominently displayed the Trinamool Congress' grass-and-twin-flower symbol and the party's official name, even though portraits of Mamata Banerjee, once the unquestioned face of the organisation, were absent.
Another complaint referred to a meeting convened for Trinamool Congress councillors in Kolkata by leaders of the breakaway faction, alleging that invitations were issued using unauthorised party designations.