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TMC faces its biggest internal crisis yet as rebel MPs back the NDA, challenge party leadership, and trigger a fresh battle over defections and control.
New Delhi: TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee arrives for the INDIA bloc meeting (Photo: PTI)
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing one of the biggest internal challenges in its history, with a large section of its MPs openly rebelling against party chief Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and signalling support for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The developments mark a dramatic escalation of the turmoil that has engulfed the party since its electoral setback in West Bengal and follow an earlier revolt within the TMC’s legislative ranks in the state Assembly.
Over the past few days, meetings, resignations, competing claims over parliamentary leadership, and a possible anti-defection battle have pushed the party into an unprecedented crisis.
The immediate trigger came when rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that nearly 20 party MPs had decided to formally back the NDA and communicate their position to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Speaking to the news agency PTI, Ghosh Dastidar said the MPs had accepted the people’s verdict and believed their future political course should align with the NDA.
Later, she confirmed that a letter expressing support for the NDA had been addressed to the Speaker.
The number is politically significant because the TMC currently has 28 Lok Sabha MPs, with one seat vacant following the death of Basirhat MP Haji Nurul Islam.
The rebels believe support from around 20 MPs would place them above the two-thirds threshold often cited in discussions around the anti-defection law.
THE CHIEF WHIP DISPUTE
A parallel dispute has emerged over who is legally recognised as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha.
According to the Indian Express, the rebel camp maintains that Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar remains the chief whip because the process to replace her was allegedly not completed through the required parliamentary procedure.
Sources cited by the newspaper said this is why Ghosh Dastidar signed the communication sent on behalf of the dissident faction.
However, the TMC leadership has strongly rejected this argument.
Party leaders have pointed to a letter dated May 20, signed by Mamata Banerjee as chairperson of the TMC Parliamentary Party, informing the Lok Sabha Secretariat that Kalyan Banerjee had been appointed chief whip.
The party shared a copy of the letter carrying a Speaker’s Office receipt stamp dated May 29.
The TMC has argued that any communication issued by Ghosh Dastidar as chief whip, therefore, carries no official standing.
REBELS SEEK TO AVOID ANTI-DEFECTION ACTION
Meanwhile, the dissident MPs have not immediately resigned from the TMC or formally joined the BJP.
Instead, they are attempting to function as a separate bloc while extending support to the NDA.
The strategy appears aimed at navigating the provisions of the anti-defection law.
The rebels believe that by demonstrating support from more than two-thirds of the parliamentary party, they can strengthen their position.
TMC leaders, however, have challenged that interpretation.
Party sources told PTI that even if two-thirds of MPs wish to leave, the law does not permit the creation of a separate parliamentary group and instead contemplates merger with another political party.
The leadership has also questioned the legality and morality of MPs elected on a TMC mandate continuing in office while supporting the BJP-led alliance.
SECRET MEETINGS AND BJP OUTREACH
The rebellion gathered momentum through a series of meetings in Delhi.
PTI reported that dissident MPs met at the residence of senior BJP leader and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav.
It was known that the gathering was attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
According to the Indian Express, Bardhaman Purba MP Sharmila Sarkar publicly acknowledged the formation of the separate bloc and claimed that 20 MPs were part of it.
She said the group wanted to support the NDA for Bengal’s development and that Ghosh Dastidar was currently leading the faction.
The newspaper also reported Sarkar’s claim that discussions took place at Bhupender Yadav’s residence in the presence of Suvendu Adhikari.
SUKHENDU SHEKHAR RAY RESIGNS
The crisis deepened further when veteran Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray resigned from both the Upper House and the TMC.
Ray later said he had personally met the Rajya Sabha Chairman and submitted his resignation.
He also informed Mamata Banerjee of his decision through WhatsApp and email.
Despite having a Rajya Sabha term extending until 2029, Ray said he resigned on principle because it had become difficult for him to continue in the party.
His resignation has since been accepted by Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan.
MAHUA MOITRA, SOUGATA ROY HIT BACK
Not all TMC leaders have joined the rebellion.
Senior MP Sougata Roy dismissed reports of a mass exodus and said he had not been contacted by the rebel camp.
He also revealed that he had received overtures but declined them, saying he would remain with the TMC.
Mahua Moitra launched an even sharper attack. In a strongly-worded post on X, she accused the dissidents of betraying the mandate on which they were elected and challenged them to resign their seats and contest again on a BJP ticket.
She also specifically targeted MP Yusuf Pathan, questioning reports that he had travelled to Delhi after being called by senior BJP leaders.
REVOLT BUILDS ON EARLIER ASSEMBLY TURMOIL
The parliamentary rebellion did not emerge in isolation.
The latest developments come days after a major upheaval within the West Bengal Assembly.
A large group of TMC legislators defied the party leadership’s decision regarding the Leader of Opposition and instead backed expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee.
Ritabrata Banerjee has since emerged as the face of the breakaway faction in the Assembly and claimed that more parliamentarians could distance themselves from the TMC in the coming days.
The developments have unfolded even as Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee attended an INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi, seeking to strengthen opposition unity nationally.
Instead, the party now finds itself confronting a major internal rebellion that threatens its parliamentary strength and political authority.
With competing claims over leadership positions, questions surrounding anti-defection provisions, and dissident MPs openly signalling support for the NDA, the TMC appears headed into one of the most consequential internal battles of its existence.
About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
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