The Trinamool Congress (TMC), currently grappling with a major internal crisis, on Wednesday dissolved all its organisational committees in West Bengal and announced a comprehensive review of the party structure.
In a statement posted on X, the party said all committees in West Bengal, along with those of its frontal organisations, stood dissolved with immediate effect.
"The party will undertake a comprehensive exercise of introspection, performance review and organisational assessment at every level. Based on the findings of this exercise, the organisational structure of the parent body and all frontal organisations will be reconstituted and announced in due course," the statement said.
Also Read | West Bengal: 59 rebel TMC legislators to stake claim as main opposition party
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | West Bengal: 59 rebel TMC legislators to stake claim as main opposition party
{{/usCountry}}The party did not specify the reasons behind the move. However, the decision comes amid escalating turmoil within the organisation, including the ongoing fake-signature controversy and an open rebellion by a large section of its legislators.
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The crisis deepened on Wednesday when 59 rebel TMC MLAs arrived at the West Bengal Assembly in Kolkata to stake claim as the principal opposition group, pushing the Mamata Banerjee-led faction into an unprecedented political challenge.
The dissident camp includes former ministers Javed Ahmed Khan, Arup Roy, Chandranath Sinha and Sabina Yasmin. Several among the 59 legislators are facing investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
"Let us hold our meeting. We have more than two-thirds of our Assembly members with us," said Sandeepan Saha, the MLA from Entally, before entering the Assembly premises.
The TMC had on Monday expelled Saha and Ritabrata Banerjee, who is spearheading the rebellion, for alleged anti-party activities. Banerjee arrived at the Assembly on Wednesday carrying a letter signed by the dissident legislators in support of their claim.
To escape action under the anti-defection law, 52 lawmakers were required to sign a letter to assembly speaker Rathindra Bose. The number of TMC lawmakers dropped to 78 after the two expulsions. At least 57 had consented to split the party by Tuesday afternoon. The number rose to 59 by Wednesday morning.
The signs of a split were evident when only 69 of 80 TMC lawmakers attended the first legislature party meeting at Mamata Banerjee’s home on May 6. The number came down to 64 on May 19 and only 19 on May 31.