The split within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) widened further on Friday, with rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee making it clear that the dissident legislators backing him have no intention of following the party’s rebel MPs into the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI).

Banerjee, who was recognised as the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly after leading a breakaway group of legislators, said the MLAs learnt about the MPs’ decision through media reports and had neither discussed nor considered a similar move.

“We have seen through the media that they have decided to merge with this National Citizens Party of India. That is their collective decision. As far as our collective is concerned, we have no such idea,” Banerjee said.

MLAs Keep Distance From MPs’ Decision

The remarks come days after 20 dissident MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, announced their merger with the Tripura-based NCPI and approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking separate seating arrangements in Parliament. The MPs are also preparing to move court to seek recognition as the real TMC and claim the party’s election symbol, according to Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay.

Banerjee stressed that the legislative group had no role in the parliamentary faction’s decision and was unaware of any such proposal.

“As far as the legislative party is concerned, we do not know any such thing. So this question does not arise,” he said.

The NCPI is a registered but unrecognised political party based in Tripura with limited electoral presence. In the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections, the party contested three seats, with its candidates performing poorly and, in some cases, polling fewer votes than the None of the Above (NOTA) option.

Official TMC Camp Opposes Recognition Of Rebel Group

The developments have triggered a legal and political battle over the identity of the party. TMC MPs Kirti Azad and Sagarika Ghose submitted a letter from Abhishek Banerjee to Speaker Om Birla, urging him not to recognise any separate faction or grant it official facilities.

The Mamata Banerjee-led camp has argued that the Constitution’s Tenth Schedule, commonly known as the anti-defection law, does not permit a section of MPs to form a separate group and that any merger must involve the entire political party rather than a faction.

The official leadership has maintained that the party remains united despite the rebellion and has dismissed the claims made by the dissident camp as politically motivated.

Twin Revolt Pushes TMC Into Deepest Crisis

The TMC has been grappling with an unprecedented organisational crisis since its defeat in the recently concluded Assembly elections. Discontent within the party has led to simultaneous rebellions in both Parliament and the state Assembly, making it the most serious internal challenge since the party’s formation in 1998.

A section of disgruntled leaders has directed criticism towards party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and questioned Mamata Banerjee’s continued support for him.

Last week, 64 of the TMC’s 80 MLAs broke away and secured recognition as a separate legislative formation, with Ritabrata Banerjee emerging as its leader. On Friday, he claimed that more than two-thirds of the party’s Assembly strength had submitted their names to the Speaker and said a floor test could be conducted to settle competing claims of support.

Even as rival factions intensify the battle for legitimacy, the official TMC leadership insists that the organisation remains intact under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership.

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