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The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday expelled six of its legislators - Arup Roy, Firhad Hakim, Rathin Ghosh, Biplab Mitra, Javed Khan and Sabina Yasmin
- for alleged anti-party activities. The move came a day after the leaders attended a meeting by the TMC rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee, who was expelled earlier by the party's top leadership.
At the meet held at a hotel in Kolkata, Banerjee challenged the authority of the party's top leadership and claimed to represent the "real" Trinamool Congress. The rebel camp recently appointed senior MLA Arup Roy as its chairperson and announced plans to approach the Election Commission with its claim.
Those expelled are some of the party's most prominent faces. Firhad Hakim, a senior TMC leader and former Kolkata mayor, had emerged as a key figure in the dissident camp in recent weeks. Javed Khan, Sabina Yasmin, Rathin Ghosh and Biplab Mitra were also seen as being aligned with the rebel bloc that has been openly questioning decisions taken by the party leadership.
The latest action marks a significant escalation in the internal turmoil that has gripped the TMC since its electoral setback in West Bengal earlier this year.
Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha were expelled for alleged anti-party activities after they challenged decisions of the legislative party in the signature row case.
Political observers view the expulsion of six sitting MLAs as one of the strongest disciplinary measures taken by the party in recent years. The move is expected to further sharpen the battle between the official TMC leadership and the dissident faction, which claims support from a sizeable section of legislators.
