Crisis Deepens for TMC, Rebel MPs Meet Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari

New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing an existential crisis following its recent defeat in the West Bengal state assembly elections. The party’s Lok Sabha faction is now on the verge of a formal split after a group of dissident lawmakers held consecutive high-stakes meetings in the national capital to orchestrate a breakaway.

Inside the Rebel Parliamentarians’ Meetings

As TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee attended an opposition INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi on Monday, a faction of her own MPs was plotting a defection just three kilometres away.

• The First Meeting: Led by veteran Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, at least 14 rebel lawmakers gathered for two hours at the residence of Union Minister and BJP Bengal poll observer Bhupender Yadav.
• The Second Meeting: Later that evening, the dissident group reconvened at the home of four-time Birbhum MP Shatabdi Roy.
• The Adhikari Factor: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was present at both strategy sessions. During the initial meeting, Adhikari reportedly sympathized with the lawmakers, noting that despite their seniority, they had been poorly treated by the top TMC leadership.

The Numbers Game: Evading the Anti-Defection Law

To successfully break away without triggering anti-defection proceedings under parliamentary rules, the rebels require a two-thirds majority of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha members.

According to Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, the faction has already crossed that threshold. She claimed the backing of nearly 20 MPs—more than the 19 required—and confirmed that a formal letter has been sent to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting separate seating arrangements as an independent bloc allied with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

“Nearly 20 TMC MPs, including myself, have decided to support the NDA for Bengal’s development… The letter has already reached the Speaker. We have sought separate seating arrangements as a separate bloc.”

— Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Barasat MP

Ghosh Slams Current TMC Leadership

Speaking to the press, Ghosh fiercely defended her loyalty, pointing out that she has stood by Mamata Banerjee for four decades, long before the party tasted power in 2011. However, she noted that governance had severely deteriorated over the last few years.

Key Reasons Cited for the Rebellion:

• Systemic Collapse: Ghosh cited a total breakdown in the state’s education, healthcare, and film industries.
• Administrative Coercion: She alleged that government officials were forced to work under intense pressure to satisfy the personal whims of specific party leaders.
• Lawlessness and Misgovernance: The rebel faction expressed a desire to distance themselves from West Bengal’s rising unemployment and deteriorating law-and-order situation to focus on national security and state development.

A Multi-Front Collapse for Mamata Banerjee

The parliamentary revolt is just the latest blow to Mamata Banerjee, whose grip on the party appears to be slipping at every level of government.

With only eight loyal MLAs reportedly attending a recent meeting at Banerjee’s residence compared to the dozens aligning with the rebels, the Trinamool Congress faces its most severe internal mutiny since its inception.