Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and approximately 20 other lawmakers have rebelled against party leadership to seek entry into the National Democratic Alliance [1].

This movement represents a significant internal fracture within the TMC, potentially weakening Mamata Banerjee's grip on the party and altering the balance of power in the Lok Sabha.

The group of lawmakers submitted or intended to submit a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting to sit separately and align with the BJP-led NDA [2, 3]. This action follows reports from May 2026 that Dastidar had resigned from key party posts amid growing fissures [4].

Dastidar said the rebellion is driven by anger over lawlessness, corruption, and misgovernance in West Bengal. The lawmakers said that a recent poll debacle indicates the party leadership has lost touch with the masses [1, 5].

The rebellion comes as a direct challenge to the TMC hierarchy. By formally requesting the Speaker's permission to sit separately, the 20 MPs [1] are attempting to navigate the legal and procedural requirements of the lower house to shift their political allegiance without triggering immediate disqualification.

While the TMC leadership has not yet issued a formal response to the group's request, the move creates a volatile situation in West Bengal politics. The rebels said that the current state of governance is untenable, a claim that aligns with the NDA's long-standing criticisms of the Banerjee administration [1, 5].

“20 TMC MPs rebel to join NDA citing West Bengal lawlessness”

A mass defection of 20 MPs would significantly diminish the TMC's influence in the Lok Sabha and provide the BJP-led NDA with greater leverage in national policy and legislative voting. If the Speaker accepts the request to sit separately, it sets a procedural precedent for other disgruntled lawmakers to exit the party without facing the immediate loss of their seats, potentially triggering further instability within regional parties.