- By Shubham Bajpai
- Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:33 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Amid mounting pressure over the alleged 'fake signature' row, Trinamool Congress on Monday expelled two of its MLAs, Sandipan Saha and Ritabrata Banerjee, for alleged anti-party activities. The expulsion order came within minutes of a press conference by West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat, where he said the two MLAs had filed complaints in connection with the 'fake signature' case with the Speaker of the state assembly.
In a communication addressed to the MLAs, the Mamata Banerjee-led party stated, "It has been brought to the notice of the All India Trinamool Congress through its competent authority that, despite having been elected as a candidate nominated by the AITC, you have repeatedly failed to attend meetings convened by the authorised leadership of the party and have made yourself involved in anti-party activities."
"It has also been observed that you have engaged in activities and made statements that are prejudicial to the interests of AITC," the communication signed by the party vice president, Chandrima Bhattacharya, added.
"The competent authority of the AITC has decided to expel you from the (primary) membership of the party with immediate effect," it added.
While the TMC did not explicitly mention any complaint that triggered the alleged fake signature case, the timing says it all.
What's the controversy?
Following the election results on May 4, the TMC was to decide its role as the opposition in the House. At the May 6 meeting, the outgoing CM Mamata Banerjee was given the authority to choose the leader.
Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay was named as the TMC's choice for the Leader of Opposition (LoP). However, Speaker Rabindranath Bose rejected the initial request on procedural grounds as it was not sent by the TMC legislative party, which remains an administrative requirement.
When the party submitted a second request letter nominating Chattopadhyay, the Speaker flagged a mismatch in the signatures of some MLAs, prompting a CBI investigation.
According to a report by Jagran.com, expelled MLAs filed a written complaint with the Speaker alleging that the signatures in the attendance register were being mistaken for support of the motion. Based on this complaint, a case was registered at the Hare Street police station.
In connection with this "signature scam," the CID has raided the homes of Nayana Banerjee, Kunal Ghosh, Tapas Maiti, and Baharul Islam. MLA Baharul Islam admitted that he was not present at the meeting on May 6, yet his signature was present there. The CID has also summoned Abhishek Banerjee in this connection.
Following the expulsion, Sandipan Saha launched a scathing attack, saying the party supports unethical individuals and expels ethical ones. Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh called it "betrayal and cowardice" on Facebook.
Within a month of their electoral defeat, the Mamata Banerjee brigade appears to be crumbling like a pack of cards. Now, the two expelled MLAs will sit in the House as "non-party" members and will not be subject to the TMC whip.