Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mandal, once a close aide of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has formally joined the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee.

This move marks a significant setback for the TMC as Mandal is now appointed as the Birbhum district president under Ritabrata's leadership structure.

The announcement came after speculation about Mandal's potential defection, which was confirmed during a press conference where Ritabrata also named other district presidents.The new leadership includes Prasun Banerjee (Malda), Debashis Kumar (South Kolkata), and Sandipan Saha (North Kolkata).Additionally, the AITC Committee has a 30-member National Working Committee with Firhad Hakim and others as vice-presidents.This development follows earlier defections of three TMC leaders to the BJP, who were subsequently fielded for Rajya Sabha bypolls.The political landscape in West Bengal continues to shift as rival factions within the TMC and external parties like the BJP vie for influence.