Overview
- On Wednesday, West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Nath Bose accepted letters from about 58 dissident TMC MLAs backing expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as their legislature-party leader.
- The rebel camp says it exceeds the two‑thirds threshold of 54 of 80 MLAs needed to avoid disqualification under the anti‑defection law and therefore seeks formal control of the TMC legislature party.
- A CID investigation has been opened into allegations of forged signatures on paperwork naming Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as leader and Abhishek Banerjee has been summoned for questioning in the probe.
- The TMC leadership responded by dissolving all state committees and frontal organisations in West Bengal while dozens of municipal councillors and two mayors have resigned or signalled uncertainty.
- The outcome now hinges on legal rulings and the Speaker's authority over recognition and disqualification, a result that will decide who controls the party's assembly benches, its symbol access, and local governance roles.