The dissident camp claims support from around 20 MPs and says cooperation with the Centre is needed for development, while the TMC leadership questions the legality of its parliamentary demands.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra says rebel lawmakers must resign and contest on BJP tickets, while dissident MPs push for a separate identity in Parliament. | File Photo: IANS
The battle for control of the Trinamool Congress intensified on Friday, with party MP Mahua Moitra launching a sharp attack on dissident lawmakers even as rebel MPs publicly backed closer ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and pressed ahead with plans for a separate identity in Parliament.
The confrontation comes amid a widening crisis within the Trinamool Congress following its disappointing performance in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. A group of rebel MPs has sought separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, while senior leaders who have broken ranks with the party have openly questioned the leadership’s functioning and future direction.
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In a post on X, Moitra argued that the rebels were misreading constitutional provisions and could not claim recognition as a separate parliamentary bloc.
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“Traitor TMC lawmakers don’t know law. Constitution 91st Amendment 2003 removed the provision for split/separate bloc. Number of MPs is irrelevant. Two-thirds of original political party has to merge with another party. All 19 traitors need to resign and contest on BJP ticket,” she wrote.
Traitor TMC lawmakers don’t know law. Constitution 91st Amendment 2003 removed provision for split/ separate bloc. Number of MPs is irrelevant- 2/3 of original political party has to MERGE with another party. All 19 traitors need to resign & contest on BJP ticket.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) June 12, 2026
The Krishnanagar MP also referred to an earlier post in which she maintained that even securing the support of two-thirds of TMC MPs would not automatically entitle the dissidents to function as an independent parliamentary group.
According to Moitra, any such move would have to comply with constitutional provisions governing mergers under the anti-defection law. She also cited the Supreme Court’s 2023 judgment in the Subhash Desai versus Principal Secretary, Governor of Maharashtra case to support her position.
While the party leadership has rejected the rebels’ position, members of the dissident camp have continued to project confidence.
Speaking to ANI, rebel MP Arup Chakraborty claimed that around 20 MPs were backing the faction’s demand for separate seating in Parliament.
“We have the support of 20 MPs,” Chakraborty said.
Rejecting allegations that the rebels were driven by political opportunism, he said the group wanted to “save TMC” and rebuild it in a new form.
“Our elected members are going to form a new party with TMC. We want to sit separately with our 20 seats. We won for TMC because of the people’s votes and blessings. We have gone to Parliament with public support and want to rebuild TMC in a new form,” he said.
Chakraborty also indicated that the dissident camp favoured cooperation with the BJP at the Centre, saying such an arrangement could help create a “joint-engine government” model between the state and the Union government.
Another rebel MP, Jagadish Barma Basunia, mounted a direct attack on the TMC leadership, accusing it of stifling internal discussion and ignoring party representatives.
“The issue lies in the way the TMC operates. Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee and other party leaders or public representatives don’t listen to anyone,” Basunia told ANI.
He alleged that local leaders and MPs were sidelined during candidate selection in the recent Assembly elections and claimed decisions were heavily influenced by political consultancy firm I-PAC.
Basunia said the rebel group had decided to align itself with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA, arguing that such a move was necessary for the development of their constituencies.
“We have decided to align ourselves with development and with PM Narendra Modi,” he said.
According to Basunia, development projects require cooperation between the state and central governments, making support for the NDA a practical choice for lawmakers seeking resources for their constituencies.
The latest exchange comes as visible signs of a split within the party continue to emerge.
Recently, Trinamool Congress posters were removed from the party’s Delhi office at 20, Rajendra Prasad Road, the residence of Barrackpore MP Partha Bhowmick, one of the rebel lawmakers. The posters were later shifted to the South Avenue residence of Rajya Sabha MP Nadimul Haque.
The dissident faction, led by former TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee, has claimed the support of 19 Lok Sabha MPs and 64 MLAs. On May 18, the group submitted the names of 19 MPs to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking separate seating arrangements in Parliament.
The list includes Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Satabdi Roy, Bapi Haldar, Yusuf Pathan, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari, Jagadish Barma Basunia, Asit Kumar Mal, June Malia and Partha Bhowmick.
The uncertainty surrounding the party has deepened further after the resignations of Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik earlier this month.
Reports of meetings between rebel MPs and senior BJP leaders, including Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, have added to speculation about a possible political realignment, though no formal merger has been announced.
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