Trinamool on Monday expelled Uluberia Purba MLA Ritabrata Banerjee and Entally MLA Sandipan Saha amid suggestions that they had held a series of meetings with 50-odd party legislators at a hotel off EM Bypass, raising suspicions of a rebellion.

“The party expelled the duo citing how they had written to Speaker Rathindra Bose without informing the leadership,” a Trinamool insider said.

“But the real story could be much bigger. They are in touch with a number of party MLAs, and are trying to break the party.”

Ritabrata and Sandipan had written to the Speaker saying 14 of the signatures on a Trinamool letter seeking the leader of the Opposition’s post for Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay had been forged, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed on Monday.

If two-thirds or more of Trinamool’s 80 MLAs — that is, at least 53 MLAs — agree to break away, they can form a separate group and stake claim to the post of leader of the Opposition.

Monday’s expulsions come a day after a scheduled meeting of the Trinamool legislature party at Mamata Banerjee’s residence had to be postponed because 60 of the 80 MLAs failed to turn up.

“With the majority of the MLAs distancing themselves from the party, there is every possibility that the duo can manage a separate group within the party. I heard they are in touch with as many as 52 party MLAs,” a Trinamool insider said.

If Trinamool is hit by an MLAs’ rebellion, it will inevitably draw comparisons with the “Shinde Model” of Maharashtra, although...

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