At least 10 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs met with BJP leaders in Delhi on Monday [1].

The meeting signals a deepening internal crisis for the TMC as high-ranking members seek alignment with the opposition BJP. This friction occurs while party leader Mamata Banerjee attempts to coordinate a broader opposition strategy with other parties.

The closed-door discussions took place at the residence of BJP leader Bhupender Yadav [3]. The location was approximately one kilometer away from the venue where Banerjee was participating in an INDIA bloc meeting [3]. While some reports state at least 10 MPs attended the gathering [1], other accounts place the number at 12 [2].

This simultaneous occurrence of a rebel meeting and an alliance summit highlights the growing turbulence within the TMC. The rebel MPs are reportedly seeking a new alignment with the BJP, a move that directly contradicts the party's current efforts to strengthen the INDIA bloc.

Banerjee spent the day in talks to plan a response and coordinate strategy with the alliance [1]. Meanwhile, the rebellion that began in Kolkata has now reached the capital, suggesting that the dissatisfaction among the party's lawmakers is no longer localized to West Bengal [3].

The BJP leaders, including Yadav, hosted the MPs in a private setting, further emphasizing the clandestine nature of the negotiations. The timing of the meeting, coinciding with the INDIA bloc talks, underscores the strategic tension between the TMC leadership and its dissenting members.

“At least 10 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs met with BJP leaders in Delhi.”

The proximity of the rebel meeting to the INDIA bloc summit suggests a coordinated effort to undermine Mamata Banerjee's leadership at a critical strategic moment. If a significant bloc of TMC MPs defects to or aligns with the BJP, it could weaken the TMC's leverage within the opposition alliance and destabilize its hold on regional politics in West Bengal.