In a major political realignment that has sent ripples through Indian politics, a group of around 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday and formally requested recognition as a separate bloc. Following the meeting, the dissidents announced their decision to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a lesser-known regional outfit, and extend full support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
The development comes amid deepening internal unrest in the TMC, triggered by the party's recent electoral setback in West Bengal. The rebels, claiming to represent more than two-thirds of TMC's Lok Sabha strength, submitted a signed letter to the Speaker seeking separate seating arrangements in the House to reflect their new political identity. This move is seen as a strategic step to navigate anti-defection provisions while formalising their shift away from Mamata Banerjee's leadership.
Speaking to reporters after the interaction with Speaker Birla, rebel leader and Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar stated: "We, the twenty MPs elected from the AITC, met the Speaker and submitted a letter requesting to sit separately; these twenty MPs constitute more than two-thirds of our total strength. We are merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party. Moving forward, we will work for the nation and collaborate with the NDA under the leadership of the Prime Minister."
The rebel bloc includes prominent figures such as Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Satabdi Roy, Saayoni Ghosh, Yusuf Pathan, and others who have grown “disillusioned” with the TMC's direction. Senior rebel MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay reinforced the merger, describing NCPI as a recognised regional party that provides a viable platform for the group.
In a firm counter-offensive, TMC National General Secretary and Parliamentary Party Leader Abhishek Banerjee wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, strongly urging him not to grant any recognition, status, or separate facilities to the rebel faction. In the letter - personally delivered in hard copy on Sunday by loyalist MPs Kirti Azad and Sagarika Ghose - Banerjee asserted that the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) remains a single, indivisible political party. He emphasised that the legislative wing in the Lok Sabha derives its authority solely from the organisational structure of the party and can only be represented through its officially authorised leader and whip. Banerjee cited constitutional provisions and relevant Supreme Court judgments to argue that forming a separate group within an existing party is impermissible under the anti-defection law, warning that any such move could invite disqualification proceedings under the Tenth Schedule. He also requested that the party be given an opportunity to present its views before any decision is taken on the rebels' claims.
This parliamentary split marks a significant boost for the NDA, potentially strengthening its numbers in the Lok Sabha and easing the passage of key legislation. TMC loyalists, however, have dismissed the move as a "betrayal" and urged the Speaker not to grant recognition to the faction. Legal experts anticipate challenges, but the two-thirds majority claimed by the rebels could offer protection under relevant parliamentary rules. As the rebels end the round one of speculations, prepare to operate under the NCPI banner in support of the NDA, political observers are watching closely for what will be the next move of Mamata Banerjee who has gone mostly silent - adopting the wait and watch mode.
