Expelled Trinamool Congress MLA Ritabrata Banerjee claimed on Wednesday that West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose has accepted the claim of the rebel group led by him to be the main opposition in the state, ANI reported.

Ritabrata Banerjee claimed that the speaker had accepted a proposal by 58 of the party’s 80 MLAs to be recognised as TMC’s legislature wing.

Earlier in the day, the 58 MLAs submitted to the speaker, without the party’s letterhead, a list mentioning Mamata Banerjee as the party’s leader, Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the Opposition, and Sheuli Saha, Javed Khan, Sandipan Saha and Sabina Yasmin as the deputy leaders in the House.

Ritabrata Banerjee claimed that the speaker has accepted these demands.

The stand taken by the 58 MLAs is being viewed as a challenge to party chief Mamata Banerjee, who is supporting Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Opposition leader in the Assembly.

On Tuesday, General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee sent a fresh letter to Bose, reiterating the party’s decision to appoint Chattopadhyay as leader of the Opposition.

This came amid a probe into allegations by Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha that signatures were forged in documents submitted to the speaker in support of Chattopadhyay’s appointment.

Saha, who represents the constituency of Entally, was also expelled by the TMC on Monday.

On Wednesday, Ritabrata Banerjee said that the 58 MLAs had told the speaker they want Mamata Banerjee to be the chief advisor of the legislature party despite the ongoing rebellion, reported ANI.

“I have already categorically stated that we will write to Mamata Banerjee to be the chief advisor of the Trinamool Congress legislative party in the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly,” he said at a press conference.

He also claimed that two more legislators currently outside the state have conveyed their support to the group, according to PTI.

“Once they formally extend their support, our strength will rise further,” Ritabrata Banerjee was quoted as saying.

He further said that Abhishek Banerjee “has no relation with this legislative Assembly”.

“As a member of Parliament, he has sent a letter earlier with forged documents,” claimed Ritabrata Banerjee.

He added: “If such a thing has happened and it is proved, then the speaker of this legislative Assembly can write to cancel the membership of Abhishek Banerjee from the Lok Sabha of India.”

Meanwhile, TMC MLA Reyat Hossain Sarkar, who was part of the group of 58 legislators, said that the party will not split, reported ANI.

“We were elected as representatives of the TMC,” said Sarkar. “We were elected under the TMC’s party symbol. We contested the election using didi’s [Mamata Banerjee’s] photo. The party selected us as its candidates. We continue to acknowledge the party’s authority, and we continue to recognise didi as our leader.”

TMC leader resigns as Kolkata mayor

Amid the political turmoil, TMC leader Firhad Hakim resigned as the mayor of Kolkata on Wednesday, party MLA Kunal Ghosh was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Mamata Banerjee had accepted Hakim’s request, added Ghosh.

He said that Hakim had asked to step down from his post earlier as well, citing difficulties in functioning after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in the state.

“At that time, he was asked not to resign,” Ghosh was quoted as saying by the newspaper. “However, he again requested Mamata Banerjee today to allow him to step down, following which she agreed.”

Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.