The crisis within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) intensified on Sunday after 20 rebel MPs announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and extended support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).The rebel lawmakers met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted a formal letter informing him of their decision. Sources said the MPs chose to merge with the recognised regional party instead of forming a separate parliamentary group due to legal and procedural hurdles.Rebel leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay confirmed the move, saying the faction had formally joined the NCPI. He added that the question of which group represents the “real TMC” would ultimately be decided through legal channels.The development came shortly after members of the rebel camp held meetings in New Delhi, including discussions with Union Minister Bhupender Yadav. The move has further widened the rift within the Bengal-based party.In response, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee wrote to Speaker Om Birla, urging him to continue recognising the TMC as a single political entity and deny separate recognition to any breakaway faction.The rebel camp also received a boost after senior leader and Mamata Banerjee confidant Sudip Bandyopadhyay publicly backed the dissident group. He said appeals from MPs and MLAs persuaded him to support the initiative.Following the defection, the TMC carried out an organisational reshuffle, removing several rebel leaders from key posts. New appointments were announced in the party’s youth, women’s and district units.The rebellion follows the TMC’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections and growing internal dissatisfaction. In recent weeks, several legislators and MPs have openly challenged the party leadership, leading to one of the biggest crises in the organisation’s history.
