# West Bengal TMC legislator disqualification dispute

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/west-bengal-tmc-legislator-disqualification-dispute
> Updated: 2026-10-08T03:51:27.000Z. Sources: 30. Developments: 2.

A legal and political dispute has emerged in West Bengal regarding the potential disqualification of ten Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators following a split within the party.

On September 28, the Supreme Court of India expressed its expectation that the Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly would decide on disqualification petitions by October 8. These petitions, filed in July, allege defection under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The legal action was initiated by TMC MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, representing the faction led by Mamata Banerjee, to prevent breakaway groups from claiming leadership of the party legislature group.

By October 8, Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose convened a hearing to address the matter. The hearing involves ten rebel legislators, including Ritabrata Banerjee, an expelled party member who currently serves as the Leader of Opposition in the House. The Supreme Court had previously ruled that the authority to make the final decision rests with the Speaker, noting that a prompt decision was desirable.

## Claims

- BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath won the Nandigram Assembly bypoll. (corroborated by 16 sources)
- BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar won the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll. (corroborated by 13 sources)
- Devasish Sharma of the BJP won the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- The AINRC won the Thattanchavady bypoll in Puducherry. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked voters for their support following the bypoll results. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Amit Shah claimed the BJP is winning despite disinformation campaigns by Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc. (corroborated by 3 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-08: BJP wins key by-elections in West Bengal and Assam

The BJP won key by-elections in West Bengal's Nandigram and Rejinagar, and the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam, while the AINRC won in Puducherry.

27 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/west-bengal-assembly-speaker-to-decide-on-disqualification-of-10-tmc-mlas

### 2026-09-28: Supreme Court urges West Bengal Speaker to decide on 10 MLA disqualifications by October 8

The Supreme Court of India has urged the West Bengal Assembly Speaker to decide on the disqualification of 10 Trinamool Congress MLAs by October 8, following anti-defection law petitions.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/supreme-court-urges-west-bengal-speaker-to-decide-on-10-mla-disqualifications-by-october-8

---
Cite as: West Bengal TMC legislator disqualification dispute. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/west-bengal-tmc-legislator-disqualification-dispute