- Rebel TMC faction meets Delhi Sunday, Speaker Monday.
- Nineteen TMC MPs sought separate Lok Sabha seating May 18.
- Post-election setback widened rift between party veterans, leadership.
The rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is set to hold a meeting in Delhi on Sunday amid the deepening crisis within the party. According to information available, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will also be present at the meeting. The rebel group is also scheduled to meet the Lok Sabha Speaker on Monday.
The development comes as the reported breakaway faction within the TMC continues to take steps that point towards a formal organisational split in the party’s parliamentary ranks.
19 MPs Submitted Names To Speaker’s Office
In a significant development, sources have claimed that 19 out of 20 TMC MPs associated with the reported rebel group submitted their names to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s Office on May 18.
The move is being seen as an important step in the ongoing political churn within the party, which has witnessed a series of resignations and growing internal dissent in recent days.
Rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed that a group of 20 MPs has formally sought separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, signalling an organisational division within the party’s parliamentary wing.
Rift Widens After Bengal Poll Setback
The latest developments come against the backdrop of mounting tensions within the TMC following the party’s disappointing performance in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections.
According to reports, the election outcome has widened differences between party veterans and the central leadership led by Mamata Banerjee.
Sources identified the 19 MPs whose names were reportedly submitted to the Speaker’s Office as:
- Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar
- Satabdi Roy
- Bapi Haldar
- Dr. Sharmila Sarkar
- Prasun Bandyopadhyay
- Jagadish Barma Basunia
- Asit Kumar Mal
- Arup Chakraborty
- Rachna Banerjee
- Saayoni Ghosh
- Khalilur Rahaman
- Abu Taher Khan
- Yusuf Pathan
- Mitali Bag
- Mala Roy
- Kalipada Soren
- Deepak Adhikari
- June Malia
- Partha Bhowmick
Sources did not reveal the identity of the 20th MP, whose name is reportedly not part of the list submitted to the Speaker’s Office.
NDA Speculation Grows, No Merger Confirmed
The developments have also fuelled speculation after reports emerged of rebel TMC MPs meeting Union Minister Bhupender Yadav and BJP leaders in West Bengal.
However, no official merger with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has been confirmed.
Any such move would need to comply with the anti-defection provisions under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority for recognition of a split.
The Trinamool Congress has not issued any statement on the matter so far.
