Mamata Banerjee launched a mega dharna in Kolkata this week following a rebellion involving 19 Trinamool Congress (TMC) members of parliament [1].

The internal crisis threatens the stability of the party's leadership in West Bengal. The unrest has spread from the West Bengal Assembly to the national parliament, signaling a coordinated challenge to Banerjee's control.

Approximately 19 TMC MPs, including Yusuf Pathan, Sayoni Ghosh, Shatrughan Sinha, and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, have signed a rebel list [1]. These lawmakers have expressed discontent with Banerjee’s leadership and recent attacks on party figures, including her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee [2].

Other grievances contributing to the fracture include a Railways hawker eviction drive [2]. In response to the growing mutiny, Banerjee began her protest at Rani Rashmoni Avenue in Kolkata, where she was surrounded by party supporters [3].

Rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said her decision was not linked to the party's electoral defeat. "I have stood by Mamata Banerjee for four decades, including when she was out of power," Dastidar said [2].

The crisis has also drawn the attention of other political figures. CM Suvendu Adhikari has met with the rebel TMC MPs as the party struggles to contain the fallout in both the assembly and parliament [2].

“Nineteen Trinamool Congress MPs sign a rebel list amid leadership disputes.”

The scale of this rebellion suggests a systemic breakdown in party discipline rather than a reaction to a single election result. By launching a public protest, Banerjee is attempting to mobilize her grassroots base to pressure the dissenting MPs into submission, while the involvement of external figures like Suvendu Adhikari indicates that political rivals may be leveraging this instability to weaken the TMC's hold on the region.