Mamata Banerjee loyalists seek separate room, speaking time in Assembly

3 min readKolkataJun 19, 2026 05:38 AM IST

A group of TMC legislators loyal to Mamata Banerjee on Thursday urged for a separate room and dedicated speaking time in the state Assembly after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, party leaders said.

Veteran party MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay and former TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, among the prominent faces of the Mamata camp in the legislature party, described their meeting with the chief minister as positive and said their concerns regarding seating arrangements, security and legislative functioning had been addressed.

Addressing a press conference, Ghosh said, “We, under leadership of Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Madan Mitra, along with a delegation, met Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and asked for separate seating arrangement and time for placing our opinion in the Legislative Assembly as we are not the part of the rebel bloc and we have not accepted Ritabrata Banerjee as our party’s legislative leader. Chief Minister talked with us very patiently and showed utmost courtesy. He also talked with the Parliamentary Affairs Minister and asked him to make some arrangements  or us.”

“We did not have to stand in a garage, nor did we have to crawl into the Speaker’s room. We did not have to stand for even a minute. We entered the Chief Minister’s room with our heads held high,” he added.

“We are not traitors. We won as TMC candidate in the election under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. We will continue as the TMC party. Those who voted for us or people who belong to our constituency, we have a responsibility to speak on behalf of them in the Assembly. The Chief Minister also agreed with our point and said the Assembly also belongs to the Opposition. We are hopeful about getting justice,” Ghosh said.

In a sharp attack on Ritabarata Banerjee, whose camp commands the support of a majority of TMC MLAs, Ghosh said the Mamata loyalists would not recognise his authority.

“Those who stab the party in the back through unethical means cannot be accepted as leaders by us,” he said.

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Reiterating zero tolerance to atrocities against women, Ghosh also demanded the arrest of Ritabrata over his alleged involvement in the molestation of a woman in 2017.

“A woman had levelled rape and molestation charges against Banerjee earlier. That case is pending till date. The CPIM also expelled him over the allegations. The Governor on Thursday spoke about the government’s stand on zero tolerance to atrocities against women. Then, why hasn’t Banerjee been arrested yet? If the BJP is truly against atrocities against women then Banerjee should be arrested soon,” Ghosh said.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA and state Industry Minister Tapash Roy said, “What will TMC do, who is the original TMC, all of this is their internal matter. We can only say that we function democratically and we are ready to give time for debate to any party or group.”

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.

Experience

Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.

Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.

Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.

Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.

Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.

Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.

Education

Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.

Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.

Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.

Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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