Trinamool bank accounts were frozen after party rebels wrote to the police
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who led the rebel camp of MPs, told the media that the group would take legal action against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra for alleging that rebel MPs got financial gains for switching parties. File | Photo credit: PTI
After party MLAs and MPs split, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership is facing a fresh crisis with a Kolkata bank freezing three party accounts. Funds of ₹440 crore are parked in these accounts, sources said.
Letters and emails accessed by The Hindu show that the bank on Friday (June 19, 2026) informed the commanding officer of the cyber crime station of the Bidhannagar city police that three account numbers had been marked with a “debit freeze”.
Trinamool leader and former party treasurer Aroop Biswas wrote to the bank pointing out the split in the party’s parliamentary and legislative wing and demanded a halt to all financial transactions in its account.
“To safeguard the funds of the organization. I request your good office to maintain the status quo and refrain from allowing any debit transactions or changes in operating mandates with respect to the following account,” former minister Mr. Biswas said in his letter to the bank.
It is not clear whether Mr Biswas, who is facing an investigation into financial irregularities and administrative lapses during footballer Lionel Messi’s 2025 Kolkata tour, consulted TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee or senior leader Abhishek Banerjee before writing such a letter.
MLA Kunal Ghosh, a loyalist of Ms Banerjee, said Mr Biswas no longer held the post of treasurer and had no authority to speak for the party on financial matters. During the executive committee meeting held on June 5, it was unanimously decided that Subhasish Chakraborty would be the treasurer and Mr. Chakraborty has been serving as treasurer since then, Mr. Ghosh said.
The account freeze also follows complaints by 10 rebel MLAs associated with Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Ritabrata Banerjee to the Cyber Crime Police Station under Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate seeking registration of a First Information Report and a detailed investigation into the accounts.
“Due to reliable circumstances and surrounding developments, I have come to know that certain funds, originating from illegal activities, including abuse of influence, dishonest financial dealings and suspected illegal collection of money, may have been channeled and subsequently deposited into bank accounts,” the MLA’s complaint states.
The Trinamool Congress won 80 seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Mr Ritabrata Banerjee has since claimed the support of 65 out of 80 MLAs and only a handful of MLAs have remained loyal to the Trinamool Congress.
The party is facing a split with 20 of its 28 Lok Sabha MPs choosing to merge with the little-known National Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and support the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
On Saturday (June 20, 2026), Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who led the rebel camp, told the media that the group would take legal action against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra for alleging that the rebel MPs received financial gains for switching parties.
Ms. Moitra, who met Ms. Mamata Banerjee on Saturday (June 20, 2026), said that anyone is welcome to file a complaint against her. She argued that MPs who won on a Trinamool ticket and used party funds for their campaign should explain why they are now joining the BJP.
Published – 20 Jun 2026 23:03 IST