Kolkata: A day after meeting Election Commission to stake claim to the party’s name and symbol, rebel Trinamool MLAs led by Ritabrata Banerjee, Firhad Hakim, Jawed Khan and Golam Rabbani on Friday evening “took control” of the party office on the ground floor of Metropolitan Building off EM Bypass and left after locking up the premises. Within an hour, Mamata Banerjee loyalists led by Kunal Ghosh, Madan Mitra and lawyer Baiswanor Chattopadhyay rushed to the office but were stopped from entering by police even though they claimed they had keys to the other gates.Amid the stand-off, Pragati Maidan police moved in and cordoned off the five-storey building. Police and central force personnel were posted at all entry and exit points. Trinamool loyalists indicated they will move court over the ‘takeover’. “This is criminal trespass. As per their own submissions, their office is in Rajdanga. We are moving court. They started this game, we will end it,” said senior advocate and MP Kalyan Banerjee.The party office was in news after Trinamool’s drubbing in the assembly polls with landlord Montu Saha approaching cops to get the premises vacated, accusing Trinamool of illegally occupying it even after the expiry of the tenancy agreement.On Friday evening, as Ritabrata, Firhad and the others walked into the Bypass office, Mamata loyalist and ex-minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, the current Trinamool state president, was present in the building along with a few workers. The rebel MLAs walked past her and stepped into an adjoining room for a “meeting”. The room had Didi’s pictures on the wall. “At this point, those present in the office were forced to leave,” said loyalist Madan Mitra.The rebel group members insisted they had stepped into “their own party office”. They argued that the EC agreeing to meet them as Trinamool representatives made it clear that they are the real Trinamool. “Samajhdar ko ishara kafi hai,” said MLA Akhruzzaman. The EC has written to both factions asking them to respond by 5 pm on Monday on their opposing claims over the party’s name, symbol, organisation elections and authorised dignitaries.Akhruzzaman said they had met the aggrieved landlord and told him that this office is a matter of emotion for Trinamool workers. “We made an agreement with him. This will remain a Trinamool party office,” he said.During the meeting, most rebel MLAs claimed they wanted Mamata as their chief adviser. Hakim, however, referred to her as their “leader”. When asked if he was a “rebel MLA” now, Hakim said, “I will not speak on this. She is our leader.” Jawed Khan immediately added, “We want Didi as our chief adviser.” Akhruzzaman seconded it.Before leaving, the rebel MLAs hung a banner outside the office that had Trinamool’s symbol mentioning Arup Roy as chairperson. There was no reference to Mamata Banerjee.Trinamool moved into the building temporarily three years ago after its original party office, Trinamool Bhawan, also off EM Bypass, was shut for renovation. However, the party maintains 30B Harish Chatterjee Street, which is also Mamata’s home, as its address in all official party communications.Trinamool claims it has a tenancy pact with landlord Saha, owner of the South Kolkata-based Modern Decorators, till Oct 2027 but the latter says the agreement ended in 2025 and he verbally allowed Trinamool to use the office till June. Trinamool has submitted documents to police to prove its claim. Saha refused to speak to reporters on Friday.Kunal, who spoke with Pragati Maidan cops, said, “I will not make any irresponsible statements or indulge in irresponsible acts. It will not take a second to break the two locks, but we will not do it. The cops said the locks can be opened only by those who have the keys. This place has four gates and they have locked only one. We have keys to the other gates, but the police did not allow us entry. This is befuddling logic.”
