More cracks in Mamata camp as 2 ex-MLAs meet Ritabrata
Times of India | 18 July 2026
Kolkata: Political flux continued to unsettle the Mamata Banerjee camp of Trinamool on Friday as former MLA and Bongaon functionary Biswajit Das and former Rajarhat-New Town MLA Tapas Chatterjee switched sides to meet Ritabrata Banerjee, while former MLA Rajib Banerjee launched a fresh attack on Abhishek Banerjee.
Das, a serial defector who won Bongaon Uttar for Trinamool in 2011 and 2016 before jumping to BJP to win the Bagdah seat in 2021 and then returning to Trinamool, made his latest transition by visiting Ritabrata’s chamber in the assembly on Friday afternoon.
He framed the meeting as routine. “Don’t you consider Ritabrata as Trinamool? He is the leader of the opposition and meeting him in his chamber is a normal thing. I haven’t left Trinamool. There is tension in the party, but I came here to meet the leader of the opposition,” Das said.
Shortly after, Tapas Chatterjee — a former Left Front strongman who joined Trinamool in 2015, was defeated in the 2026 Rajarhat-New Town contest and was subsequently appointed Barasat organisational district president — also met Ritabrata.
Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh alleged: “He was forcibly defeated during the counting. Later police started mounting pressure on him and it seems he could not withstand the pressure anymore.”
Rajib Banerjee — who had left Trinamool for BJP in 2021 before quitting after his defeat — went further, demanding that Abhishek step aside entirely.
“Everyone around Mamata Banerjee is unwilling to continue in the party if Abhishek stays. If he steps aside, everyone will reunite and stand beside Didi again. But I fail to understand why Didi is still holding on to him. This is not merely the opinion of a few, but reflects what thousands of ordinary Trinamool workers feel,” he said, adding that Abhishek had “destroyed his political career and family life.”
Rajib had withdrawn from public view after his defeat and removed both Mamata and Abhishek’s photos from his Facebook cover.
Meanwhile, Ritabrata camp’s former councillors Amiruddin Bobby and Jeevan Saha were seen visiting the Taltala residence of NCPI neta Sudip Bandyopadhyay. Both claimed they had gone to discuss MPLAD funds.
At least two other former north Kolkata councillors, including Kartik Manna, claimed Bandyopadhyay had called them. Manna said he would “stay away from politics at present.”
Inside the assembly, rebel Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra was spotted in conversation with Mamata loyalists Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay and Kunal Ghosh — raising eyebrows. Mitra said: “I have cordial relations with even CPM and Congress netas. However, the way Trinamool is being run from Kalighat, it cannot fight BJP.”
Kunal responded with a grin, telling reporters: “He is our plant” in the Ritabrata camp — drawing laughs from Mamata loyalist MLAs.