Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is confronting a damaging internal challenge after two of its MLAs accused party functionaries of using disputed signatures on documents linked to the selection of legislative office-bearers in the West Bengal Assembly.
The controversy, centred on complaints by Sandipan Saha and Ritabrata Banerjee, has moved from a procedural dispute to a test of party discipline, leadership authority and post-election cohesion. Both legislators approached the Assembly Secretariat over alleged irregularities in papers endorsing Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition, along with other appointments in the TMC legislature party.
The dispute has embarrassed the party at a politically vulnerable moment. TMC, which ruled West Bengal for 15 years under Mamata Banerjee, is dealing with the aftermath of its 2026 Assembly election defeat and the formation of a Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Suvendu Adhikari. Against that backdrop, the allegation that signatures of party legislators were forged or misused has strengthened the perception of organisational strain inside a party long known for centralised command.
The row traces back to a May 6 meeting of the TMC legislative party. Documents later submitted to the Assembly indicated that 70 MLAs were present and had endorsed decisions on the Leader of the Opposition, deputy leaders and chief whip. The appointment papers named Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay for Leader of the Opposition, Asima Patra and Nayana Bandyopadhyay as deputy leaders, and Firhad Hakim as chief whip.
On May 9, Abhishek Banerjee informed the Speaker that the decisions had been taken at the meeting. On May 18, the Assembly’s principal secretary sought minutes and resolutions of the meeting, along with signatures of MLAs present. A copy of the meeting resolution book and attendance sheet was submitted on May 20.
The matter escalated on May 27 when Sandipan Saha and Ritabrata Banerjee complained that no such resolution on the Leader of the Opposition selection had been adopted on May 6. They also claimed they had signed the meeting book only on May 19, raising questions over the chronology of the paperwork. Their complaint alleged that the resolution dated May 6 was manufactured and fabricated, and that several signatures appeared in block letters.
The Hare Street Police Station registered a case on May 27 under provisions dealing with cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. The Criminal Investigation Department took over the probe the next day. Investigators have recorded statements from 13 TMC MLAs whose signatures were under scrutiny, with three legislators reported to have said the disputed signatures were not theirs. One MLA from Canning Purba is also understood to have said he did not attend the May 6 meeting in Kolkata.
TMC responded by expelling Sandipan Saha and Ritabrata Banerjee from primary membership, citing anti-party activities and conduct prejudicial to the organisation’s interests. The party also said the two had failed to attend meetings convened by authorised leadership. The decision was conveyed to the MLAs and communicated to Speaker Rathindra Basu.
The timing of the expulsion has intensified the political fallout. The action came soon after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari publicly identified the two as complainants in the signature case. Mamata Banerjee, addressing party workers online, said the MLAs had been expelled and alleged that some party legislators were in contact with the BJP.
Sandipan Saha pushed back after his expulsion, saying those who spoke about morality were being treated as anti-party. He also said legislators had not been told that signing an attendance sheet would be treated as support for a resolution. Ritabrata Banerjee has also defended the decision to raise the complaint, arguing that someone had to question the process.
The legal implications for the expelled MLAs may also matter in the months ahead. After removal from the party, they are expected to function as non-party legislators and may not be bound by the TMC whip in certain legislative situations. That creates a fresh headache for Mamata Banerjee as she attempts to preserve unity in the Assembly after the party’s defeat.
