TMC crisis deepens as MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay may join rebels
Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay arrived in Delhi on Saturday and met Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, along with rebel MP Satabdi Roy.
This move has fueled speculation that Bandyopadhyay, once seen as one of Mamata Banerjee’s closest allies, is joining the party’s dissident group. Bandyopadhyay, who represents Kolkata Uttar and was previously TMC’s Lok Sabha leader, came to the capital as reports of behind-the-scenes talks surfaced.
Videos of him travelling with Satabdi Roy and entering Bhupender Yadav’s home, the BJP’s Bengal in-charge, have spread widely online. This comes just weeks after TMC’s heavy defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, sparking internal unrest. The current crisis began after TMC’s heavy defeat in the April 2026 Assembly elections. The BJP won a landslide, taking 207-208 seats and ending TMC’s 15-year rule.
TMC was left with only 80 seats, and Mamata Banerjee lost her own seat. Suvendu Adhikari, who left TMC years ago, became Chief Minister.
The loss revealed serious divisions within the party. Reports highlighted frustration over claims of family control, governance problems, and the rising influence of Mamata’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.
The rebellion started at the State level.
A fight over the Leader of the Opposition post led to claims that Abhishek Banerjee’s nomination letter had fake signatures.
Expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee and others filed a complaint, leading to an FIR. On June 3, 58 of TMC’s 80 MLAs supported Ritabrata as Leader of the Opposition.
The Assembly Speaker accepted this, letting the rebels set up a parallel group. They said they were still loyal to Mamata but opposed ‘family rule.’
The rift has now reached Parliament. A group of 19-20 TMC Lok Sabha MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, says it represents the majority of the party’s parliamentary wing.
They have written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition as a separate group, separate seating, and the right to support the BJP-led NDA from outside without formally merging. Prominent names associated with the rebel camp include Satabdi Roy, Saayoni Ghosh, Yusuf Pathan and others.
The rebels argue that they have crossed the two-thirds threshold needed to avoid immediate disqualification. Under Bandyopadhyay’s move is a big setback for the TMC leadership.
As a longtime ally of Mamata, he lends weight to claims that dissent is widespread. However, party loyalists have rejected talk of a split. Leaders like Kalyan Banerjee have accused the rebels of being ‘bought’ by the BJP and have threatened action under the anti-defection law.
They insist the party is still united under Mamata Banerjee and say the rebels’ numbers are exaggerated or based on fake support. The next few days will be crucial.
The Speaker’s decision on June 15 could make the parliamentary split official. More high-profile exits could further weaken TMC.
With by-polls expected soon and rebels calling themselves the ‘real TMC’ and saying they are open to working with the NDA, Mamata Banerjee is facing one of the toughest challenges of her career.
Swift political developments with the TMC have drawn attention in Kolkata and Delhi, with all eyes now on whether Sudip Bandyopadhyay’s visit to Delhi marks the beginning.
