In a significant blow to Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, one of her most trusted political allies, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, joined the rebel faction on Saturday. This move intensifies the internal crisis within the party, as the dissident group prepares to approach Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to claim recognition as the legitimate TMC parliamentary group.
Bandyopadhyay's Defection
Bandyopadhyay, a veteran parliamentarian long considered Banerjee's key lieutenant in Parliament, met Union Minister Bhupender Yadav alongside rebel TMC MP Satabdi Roy. He also held discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, signaling the growing strength of the dissident camp.
The wave of defections continued with former West Bengal minister Manas Bhunia resigning from the TMC on Saturday, adding to the party's woes.
Rebel Camp Strengthens
The internal turmoil within the Mamata Banerjee-led party deepened after rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia claimed on Friday that 19 Lok Sabha members backed the dissident group. With Bandyopadhyay's entry, the number of rebel MPs now stands at 20. The TMC has 28 members in the Lok Sabha and 13 in the Rajya Sabha, of which three have already resigned.
Sources within the dissident camp indicated that they want Bandyopadhyay to lead the group in the Lok Sabha. The rebels have announced plans to meet Speaker Birla on Monday to stake their claim as the real TMC parliamentary group.
"We have submitted the letter... On Monday, we will go to the Speaker and stake our claim to form the real TMC parliamentary group. We will ask the Speaker to give recognition to our claim," Basunia told PTI Videos on Friday.
The rebel MPs are also expected to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday.
Party Reactions
Veteran TMC parliamentarian Saugata Roy expressed deep hurt over Bandyopadhyay's move, stating, "What can I do? I had spoken to Sudip Bandyopadhyay three or four days ago. He told me that he was not going anywhere. He said if he did anything, we would do it together. But then he went to the residence of Yadav, who is the in-charge of Operation Lotus in West Bengal. The interpretation for this is anybody's guess."
Kalyan Banerjee, however, downplayed the development, saying, "Let it be. Many people have left, Sudip da has left too. What's the big deal? Nothing."
Legal Implications
Former TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale rejected the dissidents' claim, warning that MPs seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary group would face disqualification if they backed the BJP-led NDA. He argued that the anti-defection law offers no protection for a "split" under the Constitution's 91st Amendment, which removed provisions relating to splits. Forming a separate parliamentary group enjoys "zero protection under law," Gokhale asserted.
He further stated that a merger requires the entire political party, not just its parliamentary wing, to merge. "The 'split' attempt is dead," he said, adding that backing the NDA or defying the party whip would amount to defection and attract disqualification proceedings.
In the Rajya Sabha, three TMC parliamentarians—Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik—have resigned from both the party and the Upper House this week.
Merger Speculations Dismissed
Amid the turmoil, TMC National Joint Secretary Derek O'Brien dismissed speculation about the party merging with another political formation, calling such reports "fake news." He stated, "Let me put an end to this fake news about the AITC merging with any other party. Baseless. Yes, that's the perfect word used by my friend KC Venugopal."
Rumors of a possible merger had gained traction after a series of meetings involving senior TMC and Congress leaders in New Delhi this week, including between Mamata Banerjee and Sonia Gandhi, and between Abhishek Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi. Both parties have denied any merger plans, maintaining that the interactions were aimed at strengthening opposition coordination.
