Kolkata: Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal, one of Mamata Banerjee’s close confidants, may join the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel camp, MLAs of the camp indicated on Friday.“I have spoken to Mondal at least 30 times since May 4,” Ritabrata said while speaking to reporters on day one of the bloc’s national working committee meeting at a private hotel off EM Bypass.Akruzzaman, another rebel MLA, said, “Wait one more day, everything will become clear.” Mondal refused to answer media queries on the subject.A long-time Mamata ally, Mondal has maintained silence on his political future after the May 4 results, even as prominent Birbhum MLAs, including ex-minister Chandranath Sinha and Kajal Sheikh, have switched over to the rebel camp.Sources within the Ritabrata camp said Anubrata may join the rebel camp on Saturday and may be given the district president post.Anubrata spent 25 months in jail for his alleged involvement in a cattle smuggling case before being released on bail in Sept 2024.Meanwhile, the rebel camp has been preparing the response it will send to the EC to claim the Trinamool party name and symbol.On Friday, the camp named ex-MLA Biplab Mitra its state president and Jawed Khan its state working president.Chandrima Bhattacharya, a former minister in Mamata’s cabinet, was named vice president of the national working committee.Her son Sourav, an ex-councillor, was made the working president of the rebel faction’s youth wing.Another ex-minister, Snehashish Chakraborty, was named the rebel camp’s national general secretary.The Ritabrata camp is holding a two-day plenary session to decide its unit chiefs. “All our decisions are taken collectively. We are opposed to personality cults,” Ritabrata said on Friday.The camp is also slated to take a call on its observance of July 21 Martyrs’ Day in course of the session.
