The Editorial Page: Dear Gen Z, join the system. Change happens in mundane politics 14 ThURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026 JoUrnalism of CoUrage kolkAtA , lAte cIty, 20 PAges ₹6.00 (₹12 in North east states, ₹20 in Andaman) l www.indianexpress.com DA I ly f R o M : A h M e DA b A D , c h A N D I gA R h , D e l h I , j A I P u R , ko l k AtA , l u c k N o w , M u M b A I , N Ag P u R , PAt N A , P u N e , VA D o DA R A TMC fault lines in the open: 58 of 80 MLAs back rebel as LoP Ritabrata Banerjee says rebels want Mamata to advise and guide Atri mitra & ravik Bhattacharya Kolkata, June 3 the DIvIDe in the trinamool Congress (tMC) was out in the open Wednesday after a group of60rebelMLAsseizedcontrol of its legislature party in West Bengal, elected expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition (LoP), and secured recognition from the Assembly Speaker. this effectively takes away the control of the tMC legislature party from party chairperson and former CM Mamata Banerjee, though the rebels, in a letter to Speaker Rathindra Bose that was signed by 58 MLAs, recognised her as their overall leader. the new LoP also sought to temper the situation by urging Mamata to serve as chief adviser to the newly constituted legislature team. the rebels made it clear thatwhiletheyhadnoproblem withMamata’sleadership,they had nothing to do with her nephewandDiamondharbour MP Abhishek Banerjee. “We are representing trinamool Congress in the Assembly. We are a bloc of 60 MLAs. WerequestMamataBanerjeeto beouradviserandguideus.We will play the role of a constructive Opposition,” Ritabrata said. While there was no responsefromtheformerCM,the tMC’s organisational command, stunned by the defiance of the MLAs, dissolved all party committees and frontal organisations. “Aftercarefulconsideration, it has been decided that all committeesoftheAllIndiatrinamool Congress in West Bengal, as well as all its frontal organisations, shall stand E. explained is delhi next? The concern in the TMC now is that after the split in the state, its parliamentary party, which is led by Abhishek Banerjee, could be next. The TMC has 29 Lok Sabha MPs and six Rajya Sabha members. A split there will help the BJP push through key pieces of legislation without any hitch. Two foreign nationals hang from a window as fire engulfs the building in hauz rani area of south delhi on Wednesday. AP full coverage 21 killed in Delhi hotel blaze, 12 foreigners PAGE 5 l‘CAn’t ACCEPt AbhishEk’: insidE tMC rEvolt thAt MAy Cost MAMAtA hEr PArtyE lMAMAtA finds hErsElf rElyinG on shrinkinG bAnd of loyAlists dissolved with immediate effect. the party will undertake a comprehensive exercise of introspection, performance reviewandorganisationalassessment at every level. Based on thefindingsofthisexercise,the organisational structure of the parent body and all frontal organisations will be reconstituted and announced in due course.thepartyremainscommitted to strengthening its organisation and preparing it to meet future challenges with renewed vigour and purpose,” read the statement. the new LoP, meanwhile, drew a distinction between the »COntinUeD On PAGe 2 TMC crisis deepens, BJP eyes ‘larger prize’ beyond Bengal BJP feels TMC MPs may form a separate bloc in Parliament, bolster NDA tally Liz mathew New Delhi, June 3 In the West Bengal Assembly, where the BJP enjoys a twothirdsmajorityandenjoysabsolute dominance, the party is Happening 3 mOnths After WOrLD CUP Win today Suryakumar removed lPrime minister Narendra Modi and Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who is on a five-day visit to India, are expected to discuss energy cooperation, among other issues, during their talks. Track These and more on www.indianexpress.com nation PAGE 10 d k shivAkUMAr tAkEs oAth As kArnAtAkA CM as T20 captain, may lose place in team too Devendra Pandey Mumbai, June 3 thRee MOnthS after he led Indiatothet20WorldCuptitle on home soil, Suryakumar yadav has been removed as the captain and is unlikely to find a place in the team for the shortestformat.thiscomesaheadof the tours of Ireland and england starting later this month. the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in consultation with the team management and selection committee, will appoint a new captain for the new cycle. “the selection committee, BCCI and team management, Most victims were patients seeking treatment in nearby hospitals expelled Trinamool congress mLa ritabrata Banerjee addresses a press conference in kolkata on Wednesday. PARthA PAul keenly watching signs of division unfolding in the 80member trinamool Congress (tMC). the reason, BJP leaders say,isthe“largerpoliticalprize” in Parliament, where the nDA lacks the numbers required for the smooth passage of key Constitutional amendments. “In West Bengal, the BJP does not need support. Our priorityistogetMPs.OncethetMC gets fragmented, its MPs could form a separate group and the BJP can benefit from their support for the numbers required for our ambitious legislation,” a senior BJP leader familiar with Not final, remain engaged with US, says Govt; envoy Gor defends move New Delhi, Mumbai, June 3 in consultation with coach Gautam Gambhir, have decided that India should go with a new skipper from here on. under Surya's captaincy, the team did win the t20 World Cup, but keeping his form and »COntinUeD On PAGe 2 »COntinUeD On PAGe 2 New Delhi, June 3 chief minister suvendu adhikari. PtI Amid trade talks, US proposes fresh tariffs of 12.5% on India ravi Dutta mishra & Akash mandal suryakumar Yadav the developments said. Signalling possible trouble for Banerjee, Ritabrata Banerjee — a former CPI(M) leader whojoinedthetMCin2018but was"expelled"earlierthisweek for“anti-partyactivities”—was recognised as the Leader of Opposition on Wednesday. even as Mamata had backed veteran tMC leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay for the post, Ritabrata staked claim to it claiming the support of 58 of the party’s 80 MLAs. he later said there were at least 60 MLAs in the dissident camp. Alok singh, sakshi Chand, Pragynesh & Gayathri mani the tRuMP administration Wednesdayproposed12.5%tariffs on India and 53 other countries, including China, the uK andJapan,afteraunitedStates trade Representative (uStR) trade investigation under Section 301 of the uS trade Act of 1974 declared that these coun- tries have failed to impose a legal prohibition on “importationofgoodsproducedwholly or in part with forced labour”. the proposed tariffs, which can come into effect by July, havebeenannouncedwhileuS and Indian negotiators are in the midst of talks in new Delhi to finalise a bilateral trade agreement the uStR has proposed a lower rate of 10% on six countries—Pakistan,Canada,ecuador, the european union, Indonesia and Mexico — stating that they have demonstrated a commitment to addressing forcedlabourimportsandhave committedtoimposingandenforcing a forced labour import »COntinUeD On PAGe 2 l acTion daYs afTer candLeLighT proTesT, adminisTraTion denies Link UP crackdown: Three coaching centres sealed days before recruitment exam, student anxiety simmers manish sahu prepare for the uttar Pradesh Police Constable recruitment examination, which is schedtWICe A day for the last two uled for June 8-10 and will see days, Priya Rajput, a young job nearly 28 lakh aspirants comaspirant from uttar Pradesh’s pete for just over 32,000 posts. With just days to go, every Gorakhpur, and Pankaj Singh fromneighbouringDeoriahave hour of study matters. But the been making anxious trips to coaching institute where they had enrolled is theircoachingcentre page 1 among three promiin Prayagraj, hoping nent ones sealed by to find its gates rethe Prayagraj Developened. Instead, they are met each time by opment Authority (PDA) on locked doors and official seals May 31, which claims the buildings were operating without pasted across the entrance. mandatory Both are in their 20s and completing have left their hometowns to formalities. Lucknow, June 3 anchor one of the coaching centres which faced action. MANIsh sAhu the action came days after the owners of the three institutes participated in a candlelightmarchinPrayagrajonMay 29, held by aspirants for competitiveexaminations.theirdemands:releaseofscorecardsfor theuttarPradeshPoliceSub-Inspector examination held on March14-15,whoseresultswere declaredonMay7;cancellation of the Lekhpal recruitment test conductedonMay21overwhat they claim are irregularities; and greater transparency in recruitment processes. the PDA, though, denied »COntinUeD On PAGe 2 Kolkata tWenty-Onepeople,including 12 foreign nationals, were killed in a fire that destroyed a ground-plus-five-storey building operating as a bed and breakfast (B&B) establishment in Malviya nagar in South Delhi on Wednesday morning. Police said the foreign nationals belonged to Liberia, nigeria, and Mozambique in Africa, and Bangladesh. Most of them were medical tourists who had come to India for treatment,orwereaccompanying patients. the hotel, called Flourish StaysB&B,islocatedinanarrow lane in hauz Rani, diagonally business as Usual By EP UNNY acrossthestreetfromMaxhospital in Saket. Senior police officers said there were 26 rooms intheestablishment,morethan »COntinUeD On PAGe 2