Kolkata, June 3, 2026 – Ritabrata Banerjee's political journey is a remarkable tale of dramatic rises, controversial falls, and political reinventions that has transformed him from the Left's blue-eyed boy to Trinamool Congress's Eknath Shinde, now standing at the centre of what could be the biggest split in the party's history.

Early Political Career: Left Movement Beginnings

Born on November 15, 1979, Ritabrata Banerjee began his political journey in the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M). He rose swiftly through the ranks, becoming General Secretary of the Student Union at Asutosh College where he obtained his BA degree, and later studying English at Calcutta University.

By 2008, Banerjee had shot into prominence as the General Secretary of the Students Federation of India, becoming one of the most recognisable faces of the Left's young brigade during TMC's ascent to power. His rapid ascent within the Left movement marked him as a potential future leader of the CPI(M).

Rajya Sabha Member: Peak of Left Career

Banerjee's political career reached its zenith when he was elected as a Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal in February 2014, representing the CPI(M). At that time, he was regarded as a rising star in the party and a potential future leader of the Left. He also served as the State President of Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress West Bengal during his CPI(M) tenure.

The Fall from Grace: Controversies and Expulsion

Banerjee's ascent within the Left was derailed after he was expelled from the party amid controversy over a scandal and a contentious interview. The controversies began in April 2013, when at a protest program organised by the Student Federation of India before the Planning Commission, few young members of the student organisation harassed former Finance Minister Amit Mitra in New Delhi.

Banerjee was alleged, along with other young comrades, for harassment of Amit Mitra. He was suspended from CPI(M) party membership on June 2, 2017, for 3 months pending investigations into allegations of moral turpitude and leaking party secrets to the press.

The situation worsened on October 10, 2017, when a woman named Namrata Dutta filed a complaint against Banerjee in Balurghat Police Station for sexual exploitation by promising marriage. Banerjee denied the allegations, claiming the woman was attempting to extort ₹50 lakhs from him, and produced WhatsApp screenshots of her asking for money. CID, West Bengal eventually cleared him, but the damage was done.

The final straw came after an interview to ABP Ananda television channel in which he spoke against CPI(M) leaders Mohammed Salim, Prakash Karat, and Brinda Karat. Ritabrata claimed he was not against the party itself but only against these specific leaders. He was expelled by the CPI(M) following this interview.

Political Comeback: Joining Trinamool Congress

After his expulsion from the Left in 2017, Banerjee remained politically active as an Independent leader (2017–2020) until making his political comeback. He joined the Trinamool Congress in 2018 (some sources say 2021).

In a remarkable turnaround, once again rose through the organisation after joining TMC. He was first entrusted with leading the party's trade union wing and later rewarded with a nomination to the Rajya Sabha. His political comeback was complete as he rose through the TMC ranks, becoming a prominent face within the party.

For a time, Banerjee was a Mamata Banerjee loyalist who once hailed her as the "embodiment of mass politics" and even invoked Vladimir Lenin to explain Mamata Banerjee. He was reported to have called Mamata Banerjee the "real Leftist leader" at one point.

2026 Assembly Election: Victory Amid Defeat

Despite the BJP's landslide performance in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls, where the BJP swept the state with 207 seats and won 6 out of 11 assembly seats within Kolkata, Ritabrata Banerjee managed to hold on to the Uluberia Purba constituency.

In the recent West Bengal Assembly polls, Banerjee emerged victorious from Uluberia Purba, defeating BJP's Rudra Prosad Banerjee by a margin of 11,838 votes on a TMC ticket. He secured this victory even as the TMC suffered a wider electoral rout.

The Rebellion: Leading 59 MLAs Against Party Leadership

Banerjee's political career took another dramatic turn when he became the face of a massive rebellion within TMC. He was expelled from Trinamool Congress on June 1, 2026, along with Sandipan Saha, for "anti-party activities".

The expulsion came after Mamata Banerjee's chief minister Suvendu Adhikari identified him and Sandipan Saha as the culprits, alleging that two TMC MLAs had informed the Assembly Speaker that their signatures were forged on a party letter backing Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition.

Banerjee then led a rebellion with 59 out of 80 TMC MLAs, claiming these legislators supported him for the role of Leader of the Opposition. He arrived at the state assembly staking claim as the main opposition party, presenting what he called the "real" Trinamool Congress.

Becoming Leader of Opposition: June 3, 2026

On June 3, 2026, Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose approved Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, and he was formally handed the keys to the opposition room. He is now officially listed as the incumbent Leader of Opposition since June 3, 2026.

Under his proposed leadership structure, Sandipan Saha and Javed Khan would serve as Assistant Leaders of Opposition, while Akhruzzaman has been named Chief Whip.

The Stark Role Reversal

The most dramatic aspect of Banerjee's journey is how he went from invoking Lenin to explain Mamata Banerjee to spearheading a "legislative revolt" against her. He now requests Mamata Banerjee to be "chief advisor" to the opposition front he leads—a statement drawing parallels to political splits where breakaway factions claim allegiance to founding figures.

Banerjee has been compared to Eknath Shinde of Maharashtra, who engineered a similar split in Shiv Sena. Not long ago, he used to invoke Vladimir Lenin to explain Mamata Banerjee; today, the former communist is threatening the biggest split in TMC's history.

Ritabrata Banerjee's journey from CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member to TMC rebel leader of opposition represents one of the most dramatic political transformations in contemporary West Bengal politics.