‘Special Session Was Illegal’: Mamata Banerjee Writes to Election Commission, Seeks Swift Call on TMC vs Rebel Faction Row

The battle within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has reached the Election Commission of India, with party chairperson and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking a swift decision on the competing claims involving her party and a rebel faction led by Uluberia MLA Ritabrata Banerjee.

In a letter to the poll body on Monday, Mamata challenged the legitimacy of a “special session” convened by the rebel faction in Kolkata on June 22, arguing that the exercise was conducted in violation of the Trinamool Congress constitution.

The dispute comes after a significant group of TMC MLAs broke away from the party following the West Bengal Assembly elections, rallying behind Ritabrata’s leadership.

With questions surrounding the party organisation and rebel lawmakers now playing out before multiple constitutional institutions, Mamata has asked the Election Commission to settle the matter without further delay.

Mamata Challenges June 22 ‘Special Session’

At the centre of the dispute is the meeting reportedly held by the rebel faction at Novotel in Kolkata on June 22.

Mamata, in her communication to the Election Commission, maintained that the gathering could not be treated as a legitimate party exercise.

She cited a separate letter sent to the poll panel by Amdanga MLA Pirzada Kashem Siddique, which claimed that no prior notice had been issued for the session.

According to Mamata, the communication had already drawn the Commission’s attention to what she described as serious “procedural and legal defects and irregularities” surrounding the meeting.

She argued that these alleged irregularities undermined the validity of the entire exercise.

‘Should Not Be Regarded as a Valid Exercise’

The former chief minister went further in questioning the legal standing of decisions taken at the controversial gathering.

Mamata argued that the process was “vitiated by fundamental irregularities” and therefore should not be regarded as valid in the eyes of the law.

Her letter also questioned the circumstances in which legislators originally elected under her leadership could undertake such an organisational exercise.

The Election Commission’s eventual decision could therefore become crucial in determining how the rival claims surrounding the Trinamool Congress are treated.

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Another Deadline Looms for 20 Rebel TMC MPs

The internal battle is unfolding alongside a separate but equally important dispute involving 20 rebel Trinamool MPs.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat issued notices to the lawmakers on August 25, seeking their responses in connection with proceedings for their possible disqualification.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla gave the rebel MPs seven days to respond to the notices, with that deadline set to expire on Tuesday.

The development adds another layer to the political and legal confrontation surrounding the breakaway group.

Supreme Court Proceedings Add to Political Drama

The deadline also comes as the Supreme Court deals with a plea concerning delays in deciding disqualification matters.

With the Election Commission, Lok Sabha Speaker and Supreme Court all becoming part of different aspects of the dispute, the Trinamool crisis has moved well beyond an internal party disagreement.

For Mamata Banerjee, the immediate focus is now on getting the Election Commission to rule on the legitimacy of the rebel faction’s organisational exercise.

For the rebels, meanwhile, the coming days could prove equally crucial as deadlines and legal proceedings converge.

The Election Commission’s eventual decision on the rival claims could have significant implications for the future of the Trinamool Congress and the political battle unfolding in West Bengal.