Twenty Lok Sabha MPs from the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced a split and merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) [1].

This mass defection threatens the stability of the TMC in New Delhi and signals a potential shift in legislative support toward the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. The move creates a significant rift between the party's central leadership and its parliamentary representatives.

Led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, the rebel faction announced the merger on June 14, 2024 [2]. The group met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to request a separate seating arrangement in the house, distancing themselves from the main TMC bloc [2]. The NCPI, a regional party based in Tripura, now absorbs these lawmakers as they align themselves with the NDA [1].

Party leadership, headed by Mamata Banerjee, opposed the move. The TMC leadership said the split violates anti-defection rules [1]. Abhishek Banerjee said Speaker Birla should not recognize the breakaway group, arguing that the move is an illegal attempt to bypass parliamentary laws [2].

While the confirmed merger involves 20 MPs [1], some reports suggest the crisis extends further. BJP leader Saumitra Khan said that 50 TMC MLAs are also willing to switch parties [3]. However, other party members have rejected these additional claims [3].

The rebel MPs said they are aligning with the NDA to support the central government [1]. The TMC leadership maintains that the split is a breach of party unity and is pursuing anti-defection action to disqualify the members [1].

“Twenty Lok Sabha MPs from the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced a split and merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).”

This split represents a strategic maneuver by rebel MPs to avoid disqualification under India's anti-defection laws, which generally prohibit individual lawmakers from switching parties unless a specific percentage of the legislative party agrees to a merger. By merging with the NCPI and backing the NDA, these MPs are shifting the balance of power in the Lok Sabha and potentially weakening Mamata Banerjee's influence over the party's national parliamentary strategy.