Trinamool Congress Rebellion: Rebel MPs Form Bloc to Back NDA

Ritabrata Banerjee welcomed the developments in the capital, stating that the MLAs and MPs are guided by a common ideology. He emphasized that there was no internal mechanism within the Trinamool Congress to raise their grievances, forcing this public schism. The tension was further highlighted by former KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim, a close aide of Mamata Banerjee who recently quit the mayoral post, meeting with Ritabrata Banerjee at the West Bengal Assembly.

In response to the defection, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh criticized Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav on social media. Ramesh pointed out the irony of the Environment Minister, who oversees elections in West Bengal, engaging in political "poaching" rather than preventing it. This critique reflects the broader national attention on the fracturing of the Trinamool alliance.

The rebellion stands in stark contrast to the activities of Trinamool Chairperson Mamata Banerjee. While the rebels convened at a BJP minister’s home, Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, participated in a separate gathering at the Constitution Club of India for the INDIA bloc meeting. This parallel activity highlights the deep divide within the party leadership. Later that day, CM Suvendu Adhikari visited the residence of rebel MP Satabdi Roy, meeting with approximately ten MPs from the rebel camp, further consolidating the opposition to the party leadership.

Loyalists of Mamata Banerjee have launched a vigorous defense of the party chairperson. Bardhaman-Durgapur MP Kirti Azad shared a letter on social media asserting that Mamata Banerjee had informed the Speaker last month of Dastidar’s removal and Kalyan Banerjee’s appointment as chief whip. Azad questioned how long the BJP could "hoodwink" the public, suggesting the rebellion is politically motivated rather than grievance-based.

Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra has been particularly vocal in her opposition to the rebels. She highlighted that the dissenting MPs won their 2024 elections on a Trinamool ticket, not an NDA mandate. Moitra publicly shamed the rebels, calling them "greedy self-serving traitors" and challenging them to resign and contest on BJP tickets to prove their courage. She also specifically targeted Baharampur MP Yusuf Pathan, alleging he was rushing to Delhi at the invitation of Home Minister Amit Shah, urging him to show shame and spine for the district that voted for him.

Senior parliamentarians such as Sougata Roy, Kalyan Banerjee, Sudip Banerjee, and others continue to back Mamata Banerjee, but the party appears to be imploding following the 2026 Assembly election debacle. The formation of a separate bloc by 20 MPs, combined with the state-level rebellion, represents the most severe challenge to the party’s coherence since its inception.

Delhi Political Shift Impacts National Dynamics

The emergence of a separate bloc comprising 20 Trinamool MPs significantly alters the balance of power in the Lok Sabha. By pledging support to the NDA, this group could provide critical numerical advantage to the ruling coalition, potentially influencing legislation and confidence motions. The synchronized nature of the state-level MLA rebellion, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, and the parliamentary defection suggests a permanent fracture in the Trinamool Congress. If Mamata Banerjee and her loyalists fail to counter this narrative, the party may face further attrition in upcoming by-elections. Conversely, the Bharatiya Janata Party may leverage this split to expand its footprint in West Bengal, transforming a regional stronghold into a competitive two-party arena. The long-term impact will depend on whether the rebels can consolidate their position or if party loyalty eventually reasserts itself.