The split in the Trinamool Congress apparently passed the point of no return today as Bengal assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose approved the party’s rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition. Even the keys of the room allotted to the Opposition at the state assembly was handed over to him.
To make it clear the new order has definitely arrived, Ritabrata Banerjee — who has been expelled from Trinamool Congress — allotted a new role to Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee.
“We would request Mamata Banerjee to be our chief advisor to this opposition front,” he said — in a stark reminder of the time the NCP had split under the leadership of Ajit Pawar but its leaders underscored their allegiance to Sharad Pawar verbally.
The new Leader of the Opposition also made the role of Abhishek Banerjee clear – that he had none.
“Abhishek Banerjee has no connection to the formation of the 18th
Assembly of West Bengal,” he said.
Earlier today, Banerjee had arrived at the state assembly claiming he has the support of 59 of the party’s 80 MLAs.
The letter claimed this was the “real” Trinamool Congress and curiously, declared that Mamata Banerjee was the leader of the faction.
