Mass Defection Triggers Split in TMC Parliamentary Unit

The crisis engulfing the TMC deepened on Monday as 20 Lok Sabha MPs, led by Chief Whip Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, wrote to Speaker Om Birla declaring support for the BJP-led NDA. The move has triggered a major split in the party’s parliamentary unit and dealt a severe blow to Mamata Banerjee’s authority following the party’s recent Assembly poll debacle.

“Nearly twenty TMC MPs, including me, have decided to write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and formally support the NDA,” Dastidar said. “We have accepted the people’s verdict and believe that our future political course should be aligned with the NDA.”

The Loophole: Chief Whip Status in Question

Sources said the dissident MPs intend to argue before the Speaker that Ghosh Dastidar continues to be the valid chief whip of the party in the Lok Sabha. They will claim that any subsequent leadership changes announced by the party high command were not completed through the required parliamentary procedures.

According to a rebel TMC MP, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC leadership had previously decided to remove Ghosh Dastidar as chief whip and replace her with Kalyan Banerjee, but that decision was never officially communicated to the Lok Sabha secretariat.

Secret Strategy Meeting at Union Minister’s Residence

The group of at least 20 Trinamool Congress MPs reportedly held a meeting at Union Minister Bhupender Yadav’s residence to discuss their plan to switch sides to the BJP.

A photograph from the meeting surfaced on social media on Monday showing several TMC Lok Sabha MPs seated around a table. While the authenticity of the photograph could not be independently verified, sources claimed the actual attendance was significantly larger than what was visible, with nearly 20 MPs participating in the discussions.

Prominent figures spotted or reported at the meeting included:

• Sukhendu Sekhar Ray (Who resigned from the Rajya Sabha on Monday)
• Prasun Banerjee (Lok Sabha MP)
• Sharmila Sarkar (Lok Sabha MP)
• Jagadish Chandra Basunia (Lok Sabha MP)
• Kalipada Saren Kherwal (Lok Sabha MP)
• Arup Chakraborty (Lok Sabha MP)

Sougata Roy Downplays Exodus, Admits BJP Outreach

Senior TMC MP Sougata Roy sought to dismiss suggestions of a wider, uncontrollable exodus.

“I have heard that some MPs held a separate meeting last night. Only they can say what transpired in the meeting. I was not contacted by them,” he said.

When asked about reports of the BJP attempting to reach out to remaining TMC MPs, Roy confirmed he had been approached but firmly declined the offer. “I told them I will remain with the TMC. At this age, it won’t be possible for me to change camp,” the 78-year-old, four-term MP stated.

High-Profile Resignations Accentuate the Crisis

Adding to the leadership’s unease, veteran lawmaker Sukhendu Sekhar Ray formally resigned from both the TMC and Parliament earlier on Monday. Ray cited widespread corruption in both governance and the party organization, alleging that public anger against the TMC had reached alarming levels.

Speaking to reporters, Ray confirmed he met Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan to submit his resignation. “I have conveyed my decision to resign from the party to Mamata Banerjee through WhatsApp and email,” he said.

Ray noted his tenure was supposed to run until 2029, but he chose to step down as a matter of principle. While his presence at the dissident meeting raised eyebrows, Ray maintained that his resignation was independent of the rebellion brewing in the state Assembly.

From Kolkata to Delhi: A Multi-Front Rebellion

The parliamentary split closely follows a rebellion in the state capital, where 60 Trinamool MLAs formed a separate group in the West Bengal Assembly, installing Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition instead of Mamata Banerjee’s chosen nominee.

“Whatever happened in the Assembly, can anyone tell whether a similar situation would not unfold in the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha?” Sukhendu Sekhar Ray warned before his exit.

Mamata, Abhishek Attend INDIA Bloc Meet Amid Chaos

As the rebellion unfolded in the capital, Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, party MP Abhishek Banerjee, were in Delhi attending a pre-scheduled opposition coalition meeting.

The alliance meeting—which included high-profile leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, besides Left leaders—focused heavily on projecting unity, safeguarding democratic values, and addressing public livelihood issues.

However, with murmurs of discontent growing louder among her own parliamentarians, the battle for control over the TMC’s survival and political narrative has officially shifted from Kolkata to national center stage in New Delhi.