India, June 4 -- Once a rising star of the CPI(M), Ritabrata's political journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. Today, he sits at the absolute center of the biggest political storm of 2026, dealing a severe blow to the TMC leadership by claiming the title of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) with the backing of a majority of the party's MLAs.

The crisis reached a boiling point on Wednesday when Ritabrata arrived at the West Bengal Assembly flanked by 58 of the TMC's 80 elected MLAs. The rebel faction submitted a formal letter-notably drafted on a plain white pad rather than official party stationery-demanding that Ritabrata be recognized as the LoP.

The letter named Mamata Banerjee as the organizational party leader, Ritabrata ...