# West Bengal TMC lawmaker defection dispute > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/west-bengal-tmc-lawmaker-defection-dispute > Updated: 2026-09-22T11:07:01.000Z. Sources: 23. Developments: 2. A political dispute in West Bengal has emerged involving 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmakers. Initially, Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia claimed that 17 of these rebels intended to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting that the group held a two-thirds majority within the NCPI to avoid disqualification under anti-defection laws. As the situation progressed, the 20 rebel MPs officially moved to the NCPI and aligned themselves with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The NCPI subsequently appointed seven of these former TMC MPs to key national organizational roles, including positions as Vice Presidents and General Secretaries. The legal status of these lawmakers remains contested. The TMC has sought their disqualification through the Supreme Court of India. While the Supreme Court noted it cannot issue direct orders to the Lok Sabha Speaker, it has expressed an expectation that Speaker Om Birla will decide on the disqualification petitions expeditiously. The rebel MPs have requested extensions to respond to disqualification notices, citing the need to compile documentation. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-22: NCPI appoints former TMC MPs to key national roles amid disqualification row The NCPI has appointed seven former TMC MPs to key roles, while the Supreme Court has urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to expedite disqualification decisions regarding the 20 rebel MPs. 13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nandigram-bypoll-tmc-challenges-bjp-candidates-affidavit ### 2026-09-14: NCPI MP claims 17 rebel TMC lawmakers will join BJP NCPI MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia claims 17 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs will join the BJP, a move facing legal hurdles and denials from both fellow rebels and BJP leadership. 17 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ncpi-mps-to-join-bjp-claims-rebel-tmc-mp-basunia --- Cite as: West Bengal TMC lawmaker defection dispute. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/west-bengal-tmc-lawmaker-defection-dispute