The rebels, according to sources within the TMC, were also questioned by election commissioners in Delhi on 2 July and asked to justify why they were meeting in hotels and not in party offices. If they claimed to be the real party and had majority support, they should be meeting in party offices, the rebels were told.
The very next day, the rebels entered the partyโs office on Kolkata’s EM Bypass when former state president Chandrima Bhattacharya, a Mamata Banerjee appointee, was present. Bhattacharya, whose son had earlier joined the BJP, left the office and resigned soon after.
Taking control of the party’s operational headquarters in Kolkata, it was hoped, would strengthen the rebelsโ claim over the party’s name, election symbol, bank accounts and organisation. According to an insider in the rebel camp, its leaders were advised by ECI officials to occupy Trinamool Bhawan, from where the party has been functioning while its permanent headquarters has been under renovation for several years.
The takeover, the insider claimed, had been planned in advance after discussions with Bhattacharya. “We had already spoken to Chandrima Bhattacharya after which the date and time were fixed. We visited the office when Chandrima Bhattacharya was alone, so it was easy to take control.”
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