Revolt-hit TMC asked to vacate party's Kolkata headquarters after lease dispute

The Trinamool Congress, already grappling with an internal revolt following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly polls, is facing fresh trouble after a lease dispute over its Kolkata headquarters prompted the building's owner to ask the party to vacate the premises.

The five-storey building in Kolkata's Metropolitan area has served as Trinamool Bhavan since May 2022, when the party temporarily shifted its headquarters there while its original office in Topsia underwent redevelopment. Sources said the owner has informed the party leadership that the lease period has expired and asked it to vacate the property within two months.

The property is owned by Sk Inamur Rehman, proprietor of Modern Decorators, a firm that had secured several government contracts during the TMC's 15-year regime.

According to sources, the building owner is said to have expressed concerns about the security of the property following the change in government. His legal counsel claimed that the agreement expired in 2026 and alleged that party representatives became incommunicado after October 2025, prompting the owner to approach Pragati Maidan Police Station over the matter.

The TMC, however, has disputed the claim. Subir Majumdar, the caretaker of Trinamool Bhavan, maintained that the party has a valid agreement with the owner that remains in force until 2027. He alleged that the owner was now attempting to portray the lease as expired in a bid to curry favour with the new government.

"The agreement is valid till 2027 and the building will continue to function as Trinamool Bhavan until then," Majumdar said.

Adding to the intrigue, furniture is reportedly being removed from the premises and that changes are being made to the building's colour scheme, fuelling speculation that the party may soon be forced to relocate.

The TMC, however, has sought to downplay the controversy. Party MLA Kunal Ghosh said the building was always meant to serve as a temporary headquarters while the original party office in Topsia underwent reconstruction.

"Since the TMC's main headquarters is being rebuilt, this house was temporarily functioning as Trinamool Bhavan. The original headquarters is almost ready now. Our leadership is in talks with the owner of the building. It is a bilateral matter between the two sides," Ghosh said.

He added that the party's permanent headquarters was nearing completion and that discussions with the property owner were ongoing.

The lease dispute over the Trinamool Bhavan comes at a time when the TMC is battling an unprecedented internal revolt after its crushing loss in the West Bengal Assembly polls. At least 59 of 80 MLAs led by first-time MLA Ritabrata Banerjee broke ranks and formed a separate group. Banerjee was declared the Leader of Opposition after the Speaker rejected the TMC's proposal to make Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the LoP.

In Parliament, a rebel faction led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has claimed the support of two-thirds (20) of the party's 28 MPs in the Lok Sabha and announced that they have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a little-known outfit.

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(with inputs from Rahi Halder and PTI)