Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 12 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to reach the national capital on Sunday, June 14, to hold high-level discussions ahead of the rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) Members of Parliament meeting.
Speaking to ANI, Rebel TMC MP Jagdish Basunia stated that "West Bengal CM will meet the rebel TMC MPs in Delhi, ahead of the rebel TMC MPs' meeting with the Lok Sabha Speaker."
Highlighting the group's coordinated plan, rebel TMC MP Jagadish Barma Basunia shared the itinerary for the coming days.
He said, "We have been given a date for Monday (15th June) (for meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker). All (rebel) MPs will go to him, all of they are coming to Delhi tomorrow. A meeting of all MPs with CM (Suvendu Adhikari) will be held on Sunday (14th June) and then we will go to the Speaker on Monday...19 MPs will be there..."
"Kalyan Banerjee spoke against Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee yesterday. Maybe he will also come with us," MP Jagadish Barma Basunia added.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra launched a fresh attack on the party's rebel lawmakers, asserting that they were misreading the Constitution and had no legal basis to seek recognition as a separate bloc in Parliament.
In a post shared on X, Moitra said that the 91st Constitutional Amendment of 2003 removed the provision for a separate bloc, and all 19 rebel MPs must resign and contest on a BJP ticket.
"Traitor TMC lawmakers don't know the law. The 91st Amendment 2003 removed the provision for split/ separate bloc. Number of MPs is irrelevant- 2/3 of the original political party has to MERGE with another party. All 19 traitors need to resign & contest on BJP ticket," Moitra wrote.
Her remarks come amid an intensifying political battle within the TMC following the decision of 19 rebel MPs to seek separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, a move that has fuelled speculation of a split in the party and a possible alignment with the BJP-led NDA.
On the other hand, on Friday, amid the ongoing turmoil within All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), rebel party MP Arup Chakraborty claimed that around 20 MPs are supporting the dissident faction, asserting the group wants to "rebuild TMC in a new form" while working with a "joint engine government" between the state and the Centre.
Chakraborty said that the Bharatiya Janata Party's support is with the party and the rebel MPs' support would be with the ruling party. He added that the "state and the Centre" will work through a "joint-engine government.
Speaking to ANI, Chakraborty, who is among the MPs demanding separate seating arrangements in Parliament, said, "We have the support of 20 MPs.
Meanwhile, intensifying internal rift within the party, a series of resignations and rebel assertions have fuelled uncertainty over the party's internal cohesion and possible merger.
19 breakaway MPs, including senior leaders Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy, submitted their names to the Lok Sabha Speaker's Office on May 18, according to sources on Friday.
The list of MPs also includes Bapi Haldar, Dr. Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Jagadish Barma Basunia, Asit Kumar Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari, June Malia, and Partha Bhowmick.
Rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar earlier confirmed that a group of 20 MPs has formally sought separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, signalling an organisational split within the party's parliamentary ranks.
This move comes amid growing internal tensions within the TMC following the party's underwhelming performance in the recent 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, which has reportedly led to a widening rift between the party veterans and the central leadership headed by Mamata Banerjee. (ANI)
