Rebel TMC MPs announce merger with Nationalist Citizens Party, seek separate seating in LS

Business To Business, New Delhi, 14^th June, 2026:    The internal crisis within the All India Trinamool Congress deepened on Sunday as dissident MPs announced their decision to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party and formally approached Om Birla seeking a separate seating arrangement in the Lok Sabha.
After meeting the Speaker, rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar told reporters that the dissident camp had secured the support of two-thirds of the TMC's Lok Sabha members and had submitted a letter requesting recognition as a separate group in Parliament.
"Two-thirds MPs of TMC have given a letter to the Speaker for a separate seating arrangement. We will merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party and support the NDA," she said.
The announcement marks a dramatic escalation of the rebellion that has engulfed the TMC following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026. If the dissidents' claim of support from two-thirds of the party's Lok Sabha MPs is accepted, it could have significant implications under the anti-defection framework and parliamentary rules governing party splits and mergers.
The rebels' decision to back the National Democratic Alliance would also alter the political alignment of a substantial section of the TMC's parliamentary representation.
The move comes despite strong opposition from the party leadership. Earlier, Abhishek Banerjee had written to the Speaker urging him not to recognize any separate faction, arguing that the Constitution and anti-defection law do not permit the formation of a distinct group within an existing political party.
The Speaker's decision on the dissidents' request for separate recognition and seating arrangements is now expected to be closely watched, as it could determine the future parliamentary status of the rebel MPs and further reshape the political landscape in West Bengal.