KOLKATA, July 15 -- Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee's close aide, Kamarhati legislator Madan Mitra, crossed over to the rebel camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee on Wednesday, blaming the party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, for the current internal crisis.

"From this moment, I resign from the national working committee, the post of chief whip in the assembly and the post of general secretary of Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. I was in the Trinamool Congress and I remain there. I am only changing rooms," Mitra said after joining the rebel group at Ritabrata Banerjee's room in the state assembly in the presence of other rebel MLAs.

Mitra, who has been with Mamata Banerjee since 1998 when the party was fo...