A rebellion seems to be brewing in Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's ruling Trinamool Congress party. In fact, dissent has been growing between the old guard of the Trinamool Congress and its Young Turks since the party returned to power for a third five-year term in the eastern Indian state in May last year. Read:Mamata re-elected Trinamool Congress chief The spark is Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee's push to promote a 'one man, one post' policy in the party, opposed by senior members of the Trinamool Congress who have been holding multiple portfolios in the political outfit as well as the government. Though Mamata has apparently crushed the dissent by dissolving all posts in the party except that of her's -- Trinamool chairperson -- and constituting a 20-member national working committee, insiders say that it could be just the tip of the iceberg. "All's not well in the party. A cold war is going on between the old guard loyal to Mamata and the young members who owe allegiance to her nephew. The latter group is trying to revamp the party," a senior party leader told UNB over the phone from state capital Kolkata. After the constitution of the new committee on Saturday, senior Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee told the media that "Mamata has announced the new national working committee of the party". "She will later appoint the new office bearers and then it would be sent to the Election Commission." Earlier this month, Mamata Banerjee was re-elected as the chairperson of her ruling party unopposed. Addressing party workers at the Trinamool Congress headquarters in state capital Kolkata after her re-election, Mamata had stressed on the need for defeating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the next general elections. Read: Mamata in the dock for 'disrespecting' national anthem Terming the BJP as her “main enemy”, Mamata had said, "We want all the parties against the BJP to come together but if someone does not listen to us, stands away with their arrogance, then, in the words of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, we will walk alone." On May 2 last year, Mamata scripted history by single-handedly pulling off a landslide victory in the state election for the third time in a row, bucking anti-incumbency and staving off a massive challenge from PM Modi's BJP. Bengal had witnessed the most high-profile assembly polls last year. While Mamata had harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP went overboard by asking people to vote for "change and socio-economic development" after nearly 50 years of Communist and Trinamool Congress rule.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday scripted an astounding victory in the crucial bypoll in the eastern state to cement her position as the biggest opposition leader in India. The 66-year-old won the by-election for the assembly constituency of Bhawanipur in state capital Kolkata by a whopping margin of 59,000 votes over her main rival, a little-known lawyer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Read: Mamata all set to win crucial Bengal bypoll "I have won the Bhawanipur assembly bypoll with a margin of 58,832 votes and have registered the victory in every ward of the constituency," Mamata said, addressing the media in Kolkata. The firebrand politician had to contest in the bypoll as she was defeated in Nandigram by her protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari in April-May's assembly elections though her ruling Trinamool Congress party swept back to power in Bengal. India's main opposition Congress, on the other hand, did not fielded any candidate against Mamata. The party's decision was announced by West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury earlier last month. On May 2, Mamata single-handedly pulled off a landslide victory in the assembly election for the third time in a row, bucking anti-incumbency and staving off a massive challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP. Read: Crucial bypoll begins in Bengal to decide Mamata's fate In June this year, Mamata moved the high court to declare Suvendu's election win "null and void' on the grounds that he had indulged in corrupt practices and sought votes on the basis of religion.  Bengal had witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state polls. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and development" after 50 years of Communist and Trinamool rule.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is all set to win the crucial Bengal bypoll, with Sunday morning trends showing she is well ahead of her main rival from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The 66-year-old firebrand woman politician is leading by more than 30,000 votes in the by-election for the assembly constituency of Bhawanipur in state capital Kolkata, the Election Commission of India has said. Read: Crucial bypoll begins in Bengal to decide Mamata's fate In Bhawanipur, Mamata has to pull off a win to continue as Bengal Chief Minister. BJP has pitted a little-known woman lawyer against Mamata. Though her ruling Trinamool Congress party swept back to power in Bengal in April-May assembly polls, Mamata lost her own seat in Nandigram to her protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari by nearly 2,000 votes.  India's main opposition Congress, on the other hand, did not fielded any candidate against Mamata. The party's decision was announced by West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury earlier last month. On May 2, Mamata single-handedly pulled off a landslide victory in the assembly election for the third time in a row, bucking anti-incumbency and staving off a massive challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP. Read: Mamata to kickstart campaign for Bengal bypoll today In June this year, Mamata moved the high court to declare Suvendu's election win "null and void' on the grounds that he had indulged in corrupt practices and sought votes on the basis of religion.  Bengal had witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state polls. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and development" after 50 years of Communist and Trinamool rule.

High drama unfolded in the city of Kolkata on Monday afternoon when West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee staged a dharna outside the office of the country's top federal probe agency in protest against the "illegal" arrest of two of her senior ministers in connection with a cash-for-favours scam. The two ministers -- Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee -- were picked up by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and federal security forces from their houses earlier in the day for their alleged role in the Narada tapes scandal. A legislator of Mamata's ruling Trinamool Congress party, Madan Mitra, and a former Mayor of Kolkata, Sovan Chatterjee, have also been arrested in the case. Sovan left the Trinamool in 2019 to join India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, but quit the saffron outfit days before the assembly polls. "The way they have been arrested without due procedure, CBI will have to arrest me also," the firebrand Bengal Chief Minister said at the CBI office. Read:India: Mamata inducts 43 Ministers into her Cabinet The arrest of the two serving Ministers as well as the two former ministers -- Madan and Sovan served in Mamata's previous government -- comes just days after Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar approved the CBI's plea to prosecute the four accused in the Narada tapes scandal. "Governor accorded sanction for prosecution... being the appointing authority of ministers @MamataOfficial under article 164 and thus competent authority," the Governor tweeted on May 9. The Narada scandal was a sting operation carried out by a journalist that caught on tape several ministers and senior officials of the erstwhile Mamata government accepting cash bribes in exchange for doling out unofficial favours to a private firm looking to set up business in Bengal. Earlier this month, Mamata scripted history by single handedly pulling off an astounding victory in the assembly election. She not only defied anti-incumbency and staved off a huge challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP, but also decimated the Left Front. Though her party swept back to power with a resounding majority of 213 seats in the 292-member assembly, the 66-year-old lost her own seat in Nandigram to her former protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari by a thin margin of around 2,000 votes. Read: Game over: How an injured Mamata won against a fully fit saffron squad "This is Bangla's win... this is Bengal's win... this is your win. This win has saved Bengal, it has saved the culture and tradition of Bengal," she said, addressing a press meet on the counting day. Mamata had, however, made it clear in that presser only that she would challenge the result in a court of law. "How come the Election Commission reversed the results in Nandigram after formally announcing it? We will move court." The BJP though has made major gains in Bengal, winning some 77 seats. In 2016, the party had just three legislators in the state. However, the Left Front has failed to grab a single seat this time. The Left Front ruled Bengal for 34 years -- from 1977 to 2011. Bengal witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state elections. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and socio-economic development" after 50 years of Communist and Trinamool Congress rule.  

India's former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha joined West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress party on Saturday, a decision he claimed was influenced by the recent attack on the eastern state's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Indian state of West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was "injured in an attack" on Wednesday evening in the town of Nandigram, where she had gone to file her nomination papers to fight the upcoming assembly elections.