Trinamool Congress rebels clash over party symbol and name in India

Around 20 MPs of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced a merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a Tripura‑based unrecognised party, and claim they have not left TMC but are trying to “rectify” it. The rebels, led by Arup Chakraborty and senior member Sudip Bandyopadhyay, say they will fight in court to be recognised as the real TMC and to retain its iconic twin‑flower election symbol. They also sought a separate seating arrangement in Parliament after meeting Speaker Om Birla.

The TMC leadership, headed by Mamata Banerjee, called the move illegal under the anti‑defection law (the Constitution’s 10th Schedule). Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose and veteran MP Saugata Roy warned that only a party split or merger outside Parliament can shield legislators from disqualification, and accused the rebels of betraying voters and aligning with the NDA. The NCPI, which contested three seats in the 2023 Tripura assembly elections with minimal votes, has no significant political presence. The dispute unfolds alongside earlier internal fractures, where 64 of TMC’s 80 state legislators formed a separate legislative group.

Both sides indicate that the conflict will be taken to the Calcutta High Court, making the battle over the TMC name and symbol a focal point of West Bengal’s political landscape.