Trinamool Congress split as 19 MPs submit dissent note to Lok Sabha Speaker

Nineteen members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from West Bengal have handed a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary group and a claim on the party's election symbol. The list, numbered 1 to 20, leaves the slot for number 13 blank, prompting speculation that a senior leader may join later. The move follows the party's poor performance in the recent West Bengal assembly elections and reflects growing dissent against chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

The rebels, including senior MPs such as Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy, have also met Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, fueling rumours of a possible alliance with the ruling National Democratic Alliance. No official merger has been announced, and any realignment would have to comply with the anti‑defection law, which requires a two‑thirds majority of the party’s MPs for a split to be recognised.