India
oi-Ashish Rana
A major political upheaval appears to be unfolding within the Trinamool Congress, with 19 Lok Sabha MPs reportedly breaking away from the party and extending support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). According to an NDTV report, the lawmakers have submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressing their intention to align with the ruling coalition at the Centre.
Nineteen Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs have reportedly formed a separate bloc supporting the BJP-led NDA, citing governance concerns in West Bengal and led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, intensifying the party’s internal turmoil.
The development marks a significant escalation of the internal turmoil that has gripped Mamata Banerjee’s party in recent weeks.
Rebel Camp Includes Several High-Profile MPs
The group reportedly includes prominent Trinamool leaders such as Yusuf Pathan, Shatrughan Sinha, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Saayoni Ghosh.
Other MPs named in the faction are Jagdish Chandra Basunia (Cooch Behar), Khalilur Rehman (Jangipur), Abu Tahir Khan (Murshidabad), Partha Bhoumik (Barrackpore), Bapi Haldar (Mathurapur), Mala Roy (Kolkata South), Mitali Bag (Arambagh), Deepak Adhikari (Ghatal), Kalipada Soren (Jhargram), June Malia (Medinipur), Aroop Chakraborty (Bankura), Dr Sharmila Sarkar (Bardhaman East), Asit Kumar Mal (Bolpur), Satabdi Roy (Birbhum) and Rachana Banerjee (Hooghly).
The dissident MPs have reportedly formed a separate parliamentary bloc under the leadership of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and pledged support to the NDA.
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar Cites Governance Concerns
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar had earlier drawn attention when she became the first sitting Trinamool MP to receive central security cover from the Ministry of Home Affairs following the Bengal election results, a move widely seen as politically significant.
A longtime associate of Mamata Banerjee, Dastidar has attributed her decision to leave the party fold to concerns over governance and the situation in West Bengal.
“We are against the lawlessness, misgovernance and unemployment in the state of West Bengal over the past few years. Things have been getting from bad to worse, and I have been with Mamata Banerjee for 40 years… It is useless to say that just because she is not in power in West Bengal, I have left. It is not that…,” she told news agency ANI earlier this week.
Anti-Defection Law Could Be Key
The rebellion has also brought the anti-defection law into focus. Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, a group can avoid disqualification if it secures support from at least two-thirds of a party’s elected members.
With Trinamool Congress holding 28 Lok Sabha seats, the support of 19 MPs is considered crucial for meeting that threshold. If recognised by parliamentary authorities, the faction could potentially formalise its political shift while retaining protection under the law.
Crisis Expands From Assembly To Parliament
The latest development comes amid a broader organisational crisis within the Trinamool Congress. According to the NDTV report, the unrest that first surfaced in the West Bengal Assembly has now spread to Parliament.
Earlier this week, 58 Trinamool MLAs reportedly revolted against the party leadership, with the rebel camp later claiming that its strength had risen to 64 legislators. The MLAs backed expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee for the post of Leader of the Opposition instead of the party’s official nominee, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.
The turmoil has since widened, with senior Rajya Sabha members Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Sushmita Dev resigning from both the Upper House and the party.
With simultaneous rebellions in the Assembly and Parliament, the Trinamool Congress is facing one of the most serious challenges in its history. What began as internal dissent has evolved into a battle over legislative strength, organisational control and the future direction of Mamata Banerjee’s party.
