TMC Rift Deepens as Rival Camps Plan Parallel TMCP Programmes

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is headed for another high-stakes internal showdown, with the rival faction led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee seeking police permission to organise a parallel Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) Foundation Day programme on August 28. The move comes days after the rival camps held separate July 21 Martyrs' Day rallies and is being seen as another crucial test of organisational strength as both factions battle for the party's political legacy while the Election Commission of India (ECI) continues hearing competing claims over the TMC's name and election symbol.

According to sources in the Ritabrata Banerjee camp, an application has already been submitted to Kolkata Police seeking permission for the programme. Instead of insisting on a single venue, the faction has proposed multiple locations, leaving the final choice to the police. Leaders said the event would be held "strictly in accordance with the law" wherever permission is granted.

"There is no rigidity over the venue. We will organise the programme wherever the police allow us. The event will definitely be held," a leader of the faction said.

The Mamata Banerjee-led camp is simultaneously preparing its traditional TMCP Foundation Day event, usually held near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Mayo Road in central Kolkata. Senior TMC leader Baishwanar Chattopadhyay dismissed the rival camp's challenge, asserting that public support remained firmly behind Mamata Banerjee. He also alleged that students and youths in Bengal would rally behind her in protest against the BJP government's alleged repression of students.

The rebel faction has already begun district-level meetings to mobilise supporters, with special focus on North Bengal. Sources said Sudip Raha, who heads the student wing in the Ritabrata Banerjee camp, is personally overseeing preparations and coordinating with district leaders.

The dispute underscores how the battle within the TMC has expanded beyond a legal contest over the party's identity into a struggle for ownership of its organisational traditions. Founded in 1998, the TMCP has long served as the party's student wing and one of its strongest grassroots platforms. Its annual Foundation Day is considered a key event to demonstrate the party's influence among students and youth, while several prominent leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee, have risen through the organisation.

The latest confrontation follows the unprecedented July 21 Martyrs' Day observances, where both factions organised separate rallies after the BJP ended the TMC's 15-year rule in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. While the Mamata Banerjee camp held its programme near Cathedral Road after securing Calcutta High Court permission, the Ritabrata Banerjee faction organised a parallel rally near Mayo Road, claiming to represent the "real" Trinamool Congress.

Political observers believe the rivalry has now shifted from courtrooms to the streets, with both camps seeking to establish legitimacy through public mobilisation. Beyond competing for the party's election symbol, the factions are also vying for control over its commemorative calendar, organisational assets and historical narrative.

With the Election Commission yet to decide which faction will retain the official party identity, the August 28 TMCP Foundation Day programme is expected to become another symbolic referendum on grassroots support, student mobilisation and organisational legitimacy, making it one of the most closely watched political events in West Bengal's evolving TMC power struggle.