The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is grappling with one of the most serious internal crises in its history following its defeat by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The political setback has been followed by a series of internal rebellions that have raised questions about the party’s unity and the leadership of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee. After ruling the state for three consecutive terms, the TMC is now witnessing both MLAs and MPs openly challenging the party leadership, creating an unprecedented situation within the organisation. The first major blow came last week when MLA Ritabrata Banerjee staked claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, claiming the support of 58 legislators. Now the party’s parliamentary wing has also waged a rebellion. TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has publicly expressed her intention to break away from the party and support the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), claiming the backing of 19 rebel MPs.
TMC Rebel MPs Meet In Delhi
The TMC’s Lok Sabha unit has reached a critical juncture after at least 14 MPs reportedly met in New Delhi to discuss a possible split. The discussions took place in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, marking another setback for the regional party just weeks after its electoral defeat.
The parliamentary rebellion comes on the heels of the split in the party’s legislative wing, where 58 MLAs had already rallied behind Ritabrata Banerjee’s leadership claim.
On Monday, while Mamata Banerjee was attending a meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), rebel TMC parliamentarians gathered separately in New Delhi.
The group, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, held a two-hour meeting at the residence of Union Minister and BJP’s Bengal election observer Bhupender Yadav. According to an earlier Hindustan Times report, the MPs later met again at the residence of four-time Birbhum MP Shatabdi Roy.
The meetings took place barely three kilometres away from the venue where Banerjee was participating in the INDIA alliance discussions.
Mahua Moitra Targets Yusuf Pathan
As the rebellion gained momentum, TMC MP Mahua Moitra launched a sharp attack on Baharampur MP and former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan, accusing him of aligning with the rebel faction.
The criticism came just hours after 20 of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs reportedly split to form a separate group.
Moitra, who represents Krishnanagar in Parliament, took to X and accused Pathan of rushing to New Delhi after allegedly being summoned by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. She challenged the former cricketer to display courage and invoked his past as an international sportsperson.
“Our district voted you in by a huge margin. Have some shame and some spine,” she wrote on the social media platform.
Kakoli Ghosh Announces Support for NDA
Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who resigned from all party positions late last month, confirmed that the rebel group had decided to support the NDA.
According to her, nearly 19 MPs are backing the move.
Under anti-defection provisions, the rebel camp requires the support of at least 19 of the TMC’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs, two-thirds of the parliamentary party, to avoid disqualification proceedings.
“Nearly 20 TMC MPs, including me, have decided to support the NDA for Bengal’s development. We have decided to write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and formally support the NDA,” the four-term MP was quoted as saying in an earlier Hindustan Times report.
She later added, “The letter has already reached the speaker. We have sought separate seating arrangements as a separate bloc.”
‘Things Have Gone From Bad to Worse’: Kakoli Ghosh
Speaking to ANI, Kakoli Ghosh detailed the reasons behind the rebellion and said the situation within the TMC had steadily deteriorated in recent years.
Rejecting suggestions that her decision was linked to Mamata Banerjee’s loss of power, Ghosh emphasised her long association with the TMC leader.
“I have been with Mamata Banerjee for 40 years. She has been my guide, my mentor and my leader, and I have been with her even in the days when she was not in power. I have contested in five elections and lost before 2009. So it is useless to say that just because she is not in power in West Bengal, I have left. It is not that. I was with her when she was not in power. But at that time, there was a policy which was a pro-people agenda for the poor people of the state of West Bengal… But in the last 3-4 years, the work has been suboptimal,” Ghosh said.
Sending a defiant message amid the political turmoil, Kakoli Ghosh asserted that she would not yield to pressure.
“Mera sar katega lekin jhukega nahi… Maine bohot seh liya [My head may be severed, but it will not bow]… I did not come here after Mamata Banerjee became chief minister in 2011; I have been fighting here for 40 years. And as I said, the words of such people have absolutely no effect on me…,” Ghosh said.
Also Read: Why Mahua Moitra Attacked Yusuf Pathan: ‘Have Some Shame’
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
