Trinamool faction leader offers to withdraw candidate if Mamata contests

Ritabrata Banerjee has made public his willingness to withdraw his candidate from the forthcoming bypoll election, contingent on whether Mamata Banerjee, the party's principal leader and West Bengal's chief minister, chooses to enter the fray herself. The proposal reflects an attempt to defuse escalating friction between the main Trinamool Congress organization and the Banerjee-led faction.

The dispute between the All India Trinamool Congress and the Ritabrata faction has intensified in recent weeks, marking a significant rupture within a party that has dominated West Bengal politics for over a decade. The terms of Banerjee's conditional offer suggest negotiations may still be ongoing between the competing camps over candidate selection and seat allocation.

Such internal party conflicts are not uncommon during bypoll cycles in Indian state politics, where regional aspirations and factional interests frequently clash with central party directives. The situation in West Bengal remains fluid, with the outcome of these internal deliberations likely to influence electoral dynamics in the state.