“There was no way to raise our grievances in the Trinamool,” says Ritabrata Banerjee

Expelled Trinamool Congress leader and newly appointed Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee, spoke to The Hindu, explaining the reasons and timing of his rebellion, his relationship with the ruling BJP and also hinted at a split in the Delhi parliamentary party.

Why did you and others with you decide to strike out and why now?

This was the perfect time. I could have been killed before the election. If the Trinamool Congress won the elections, I would have to keep quiet. The choice of time was not up to me. There was no way we could raise our grievances in the party. The party structure collapsed. Non-political persons were at the head of things. The local party formed by Mamata Banerjee was hijacked by Abhishek Banerjee and his corporate brokers from IPAC. Despite my good performance, I was denied a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections. Instead, in these parliamentary polls, I was sent to Uluberia Assembly Constituency, which I did not know. I was not allowed to enter Uluberia for the first three days because the local municipal chairman, who was also a candidate for the ticket, was angry. During my campaign there, I understood how corruption spreads locally.

You formally joined the Trinamool Congress in 2020 and have been working with it since 2018. How come you saw the corruption only now?

I was not part of the Trinamool organizational structure… I did not lead any district. I worked in unions. It wasn’t until I went on the Uluberia campaign that I understood the depth of the rot.

There are allegations that this split was engineered by the BJP and that the faction you represent is a BJP-sponsored opposition. How do you stand in relation to BJP?

On 6 May, after the results, all the MLAs were called to a meeting and all were asked to give a standing ovation to Abhishek Banerjee for his “exemplary” performance in the parliamentary polls. I also reluctantly stood up. Many others also hesitated to applaud. Just as fear is contagious, so is courage. Bagnan MLA Arunava Sen refused to stand up. This single gesture encouraged others as well. After Jahangir Khan withdrew at the last minute from the re-vote in the Palatinate Assembly, I asked why he was not immediately expelled and why National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was not taking responsibility. Instead of answering, I was told to look at the party’s social media post. When I went to sign the party letter for the nomination of Leader of Opposition on May 19, I saw the names of many MLAs written in block letters. They never signed so someone just put their names up. They were sending a forged document.

Why did you not report this forgery in the party?

In the last 15 months that I have been in the Rajya Sabha, I have managed to meet Abhishek Banerjee only thrice in Delhi, and that too in passing. My request for a personal meeting with him was ignored. It was only when I raised the Jahangir Khan incident that I was called but told to put all my complaints in writing. So it was clear that even if we disputed the letter, nothing would happen.

And how do you respond to the allegation that you are a BJP-sponsored opposition?

During the post-election violence, two of the 61 MLAs who are with us were attacked by the BJP. Sandip Saha’s residence was raided. If BJP has helped us, why are our MLAs being attacked? Our collective has also made it clear that we will vote in the presidential or vice-presidential elections and will not hold back to reduce the number. We are against BJP.

Do Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs also stand with you in this rebellion?

Courage, like I said, is contagious. I am convinced that courage traveled from Kolkata to Delhi covering a distance of 1,435 km. So let’s wait and see.