2 min readKolkataJun 14, 2026 05:29 PM IST
Creating more problems for Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, the rebel faction of leaders have claimed support of 22 parliamentarians ahead of their Monday meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
The dissident faction is set to to urge Speaker Birla to recognise them as a separate bloc and allow them to sit alongside the MPs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the House.
Rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar on Sunday said two more parliamentarians were set to join the dissident group, which would take its strength in the Lok Sabha to 22, news agency PTI reported.
The rebel camp needs two-thirds of the Trinamool’s numbers (28) in Lok Sabha to make themselves immune to the anti-defection law.
Speaking to reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for New Delhi, Ghosh Dastidar said: “We are going to Delhi for a meeting. Twenty-two MPs are with us. The Speaker has given us time. We will meet him on Monday and seek recognition as a separate bloc”.
The Barasat MP said the names will be revealed once the two additional parliamentarians formally join their camp.
“Those who honestly voiced their opinions against the situation prevailing in West Bengal over the last four to five years have been in touch with us. Our number is now 22,” she said.
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The latest claim comes amid continuing turmoil within the TMC following the Assembly elections in West Bengal. The split within the party’s Lok Sabha contingent became evident earlier this week, with dissident MPs publicly breaking ranks with the leadership of Mamata Banerjee.
