The internal crisis within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) appeared to deepen further on Saturday as senior party leader and MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay was seen at the residence of Union Minister Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi. He was accompanied by fellow party MP Satabdi Roy, fueling speculation that he may be aligning with the dissident faction within the party.
Sources indicated that Bandyopadhyay had flown to Delhi from Kolkata earlier in the day before heading to Yadav’s residence alongside Satabdi. The meeting comes at a time when a significant section of TMC parliamentarians has openly expressed a lack of confidence in party chief Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
According to reports, a majority of TMC MPs have decided to form a separate bloc in the Lok Sabha after consultations with the BJP leadership. The group is expected to function independently while extending support to the ruling NDA. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has reportedly been designated as the chief whip of the proposed bloc.
Sources claim that 19 MPs have already signed a letter backing the formation of the new group, with indications that Bandyopadhyay may soon add his name. The rebel faction has further asserted that out of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs, only a handful — including Abhishek, Kalyan Banerjee, Mahua Moitra, and Kirti Azad — are likely to remain loyal to the party leadership.
The unfolding political crisis traces its origins to recent developments in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. The rift became visible when a group of TMC MLAs—initially numbering 58 and reportedly rising to 64—defied the party’s directive and backed expelled MLA Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay instead of the official candidate Sovandeb Chattopadhyay for the post of Leader of the Opposition.
The dissent within the Assembly quickly spilled over into Parliament, intensifying the crisis at the national level. Political observers note that if the breakaway faction secures recognition from the Lok Sabha Speaker as a separate bloc, it could subsequently stake a claim before the Election Commission over the party’s official identity and symbol.
Leaders associated with the rebel camp reportedly include Kakoli, Partha Bhowmick, and Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay. The group’s growing strength has raised questions about the future cohesion of the party.
With successive defections and internal dissent both in the Assembly and Parliament, the TMC’s organisational structure appears to be under severe strain. Analysts suggest that these developments mark a significant shift in Bengal’s political landscape, potentially diminishing Mamata Banerjee’s once unchallenged influence in national parliamentary politics.
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