Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) Members of Parliament met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in New Delhi on Sunday, June 14, 2026, to formally announce their merger with the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The faction, led by senior MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, aims to bypass anti-defection law disqualifications by claiming a two-thirds majority of the party’s parliamentary strength. Meanwhile, loyalists to party chief Mamata Banerjee have urged the Speaker to reject the move, setting the stage for a significant legal and parliamentary conflict.
Did You Know? The National Citizens Party of India (NCPI), the organization the rebel MPs intend to join, was registered with the Election Commission of India in January 2023 and maintains its registered office in the Howrah district of West Bengal.
Why the Merger Strategy Matters
The rebel MPs are utilizing a specific provision of the anti-defection law to protect their legislative status. According to the law, if two-thirds of a party’s legislators merge with another, those who join the new party and those who remain with the original party are exempt from disqualification. Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, speaking on behalf of the rebels, confirmed the group intends to align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to serve what she described as the “interest of the country.”
The political significance is amplified by the scale of the internal fracture. Before the MPs took their grievances to the Speaker, approximately 60 of 80 TMC MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly had already shifted their support to expelled member Ritabrata Banerjee. This suggests a systemic breakdown of the Trinamool Congress’s internal cohesion following the party’s defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Conflicting Claims Over Party Representation
A dispute over the legitimacy of the factional split has emerged between the rebel group and the party leadership. While the rebel camp claims the support of 20 MPs, the office of the Speaker has confirmed that 19 individuals attended the meeting at his residence. The remaining eight loyalist MPs—including Abhishek Banerjee, Saugata Roy, and Mahua Maitra—have formally requested that Speaker Om Birla recognize the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) as a single, unified entity.
In a letter submitted to the Speaker, the loyalist faction urged the office to decline any recognition or special facilities for the rebel group. They have specifically requested an opportunity to be heard before the Speaker makes any decision regarding the status of the party or its seating arrangements in the House.
What May Happen Next
The path forward remains uncertain as the Parliament session approaches in July. Mr. Bandyopadhyay stated that while the group is currently merging with the NCPI, they intend to seek formal recognition as the “Trinamool Congress” when the session begins, banking on their claim of holding a two-thirds majority. Analysts expect that this move will likely lead to a protracted legal battle, as Mr. Bandyopadhyay acknowledged that the courts would ultimately have to decide the legitimacy of the claim over the party name and identity.
Expert Insight: This situation represents a high-stakes test of the anti-defection law’s threshold in the face of near-total organizational collapse. By seeking to claim the original party name despite merging with a third-party vehicle, the rebels are pushing the boundaries of parliamentary precedent. The Speaker’s role in balancing these competing claims will likely determine whether the TMC continues to exist as a unified opposition voice or is effectively absorbed into the NDA-aligned bloc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the rebel MPs merging with the NCPI?
They are doing so to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law, which provides legal protection for legislators when at least two-thirds of a party’s members merge with another organization.
How many MPs remain loyal to Mamata Banerjee?
There are eight MPs who have remained loyal to the party supremo: Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee, Saugata Roy, Mahua Maitra, Kirti Azad, Shatrughan Sinha, Pratima Mondal, and Sajda Ahmed.
What was the TMC’s strength in the Lok Sabha before this split?
The party won 29 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, but its strength was reduced to 28 following the death of Basirhat MP Haji Sheikh Nurul Islam in September 2024.
How do you think this internal division will impact the legislative agenda of the opposition in the upcoming parliamentary session?