Ritabrata Banerjee said support for the rebel faction within the Trinamool Congress is steadily increasing
June 5, 2026: West Bengal Leader of Opposition and expelled Trinamool Congress leader Ritabrata Banerjee on Friday expressed confidence that support for the rebel faction within the party will continue to grow. Claiming the backing of a majority of TMC MLAs, Banerjee said there was no possibility of the numbers declining and asserted that more legislators were likely to join the camp in the coming days. His remarks come amid one of the biggest political crises faced by the Trinamool Congress in recent years.
Banerjee clarified that he had not spoken to any TMC Member of Parliament over the past week and therefore could not predict their future political moves. “I live in the present. Nobody can say what will happen tomorrow. Have patience, a lot can happen,” he said. Despite uncertainty over parliamentary support, he remained optimistic about the growing strength of the rebel faction in the West Bengal Assembly.
The expelled leader also criticised BJP leader Priyanka Tibrewal for participating in a protest outside the residence of rebel TMC MLA Sandipan Saha, calling the move inappropriate and politically motivated. Banerjee alleged that BJP workers created unrest by bringing people from outside the constituency. Expelled from the TMC earlier this week for alleged anti-party activities, Ritabrata Banerjee has emerged as the face of the rebellion and was recently declared Leader of the Opposition after claiming support from 58 of the party’s 80 MLAs. He also urged Mamata Banerjee to remain the party’s chief advisor while distancing the Assembly unit from Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership.