Political Crisis Deepens in TMC; Rebel MPs Meet Bhupender Yadav; Saayoni Ghosh Also Present

Kolkata: Political turmoil within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal appears to be intensifying. Following reports of discontent among MLAs, news of dissatisfaction among several party MPs has stirred up political circles. Amidst this, some rebel TMC leaders met Union Minister and BJP leader Bhupender Yadav at his residence.

According to sources, TMC MPs Pratima Mondal, Mala Roy, Mitali Bagh, and Saayoni Ghosh participated in this meeting. Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, was also present. The meeting reportedly lasted for about an hour.

Reports indicate that the scope of discontent within the TMC has now extended to its MPs. A list of 19 MPs has surfaced—citing sources—which reportedly includes actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan. It is claimed that these MPs have submitted a signed letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker. However, the TMC has not yet issued any official statement regarding this matter.

These claims have sparked fresh debate in state politics, given that the Trinamool Congress has a total of 28 MPs in the Lok Sabha. If reports of 19 MPs breaking away prove true, it would be considered a major blow to the party leadership.

Meanwhile, in Kolkata, Ritabrata Banerjee—an MLA expelled from the TMC who was recently appointed Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly—has also made a significant claim. He stated that 64 MLAs of the state assembly support him and that a letter regarding this would soon be submitted to the Assembly Speaker.

Banerjee asserts that his faction will operate with a distinct political identity and determine its political course by prioritizing the interests of West Bengal. It is noteworthy that Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose had recognized Ritabrata Banerjee—who was expelled from the TMC on June 3—as the Leader of the Opposition. Since then, the political landscape in the state has been shifting rapidly.