In a raucous rally in North Dinajpur, Banerjee confronted a splinter group that has siphoned off most of the party's elected representatives. She pointed out that 20 of the 28 MPs who originally won seats for TMC have joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, while a significant number of MLAs have aligned with Ritabrata Banerjee's rebellion.
Banerjee blasted the Election Commission, accusing it of being a puppet of the BJP, and warned that the BJP would stay in power as long as Gyanesh Kumar remained at the helm. Her remarks came as the party’s core leadership accused the central body of undermining internal democracy.
The TMC’s “twin flower” symbol is currently in dispute; the Supreme Court has been given a three‑month deadline to decide the matter, while the faction led by Banerjee seeks to claim the symbol in court. The legal wrangle threatens to split the party’s visual identity.
Opposition parties have slammed Banerjee’s ultimatum as a power‑grab, whereas TMC loyalists have rallied behind her, citing the grassroots workers she praised as the party’s lifeblood. The political climate in West Bengal has become increasingly polarized.
The party will convene a central committee meeting next week to formalise expulsions, and a court hearing on the symbol case is slated for early August, setting the stage for a decisive reshuffle of TMC’s parliamentary cadre.