Twenty Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs have submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) [1].
This move represents a significant fracture within the TMC, potentially shifting the balance of power in the Lok Sabha and weakening the influence of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal. The defection of a large bloc of lawmakers could alter the legislative dynamics for the ruling coalition.
The rebel faction is led by MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar [1]. While some reports indicate 18 lawmakers are involved, other sources state the number is 20 [1]. The group cited a need for a better platform to ensure the development of West Bengal, and expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership of Mamata Banerjee [1].
"We have decided to join the NDA to ensure the development of West Bengal and to give a voice to our constituents in Parliament," Dastidar said [1].
The request was formally submitted to the Speaker's office in New Delhi. The MPs said that their transition to the NDA is necessary to better represent their constituents' interests. This internal rebellion follows a period of tension between the party's central leadership and several of its elected representatives.
The BJP-led alliance has not yet issued a formal response to the letter, though the move aligns with the coalition's goal of expanding its footprint in West Bengal. The TMC has historically maintained a strong grip on the state, making this mass request for a party switch a rare occurrence in recent legislative cycles [1].
“Twenty Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs have submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).”
The potential defection of up to 20 TMC lawmakers would provide the BJP-led NDA with increased legislative strength and a strategic foothold in West Bengal, a state where the TMC has traditionally been dominant. If the Speaker accepts the request and the transition is finalized, it may trigger a broader collapse of the TMC's current parliamentary caucus and signal a shift in regional political alignment.
