Saugata Roy, a senior leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), accused defecting members of parliament of being a "gaddar team" on Tuesday.

This public condemnation comes as the party faces an internal crisis that could shift the balance of power in the Lok Sabha. The dispute has reached a critical stage, with the Speaker now tasked with determining which faction represents the legitimate party leadership.

Roy spoke during a press briefing in New Delhi ahead of a hearing by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. He said the breakaway MPs are working at the behest of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) [2]. By labeling the defectors as traitors, Roy sought to frame the split not as a legitimate ideological divide, but as a coordinated effort by the opposition to destabilize the party.

During the briefing, Roy said that the TMC remains under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee [1]. He argued that the party's mandate is clear, citing that the TMC secured nearly 41% [1] of the votes in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections.

"The defected MPs are a 'gaddar team' and TMC is led by Mamata Banerjee," Roy said [1].

The Speaker is expected to hear from both factions of the party before making a final determination on the split. This legal and procedural battle will decide which group retains the party's official symbols, and designations in parliament.

Roy said that the actions of the defecting MPs do not reflect the will of the party's base in West Bengal. He said the alignment with the NDA is a betrayal of the voters who supported the party in the state assembly elections.

“The defected MPs are a 'gaddar team' and TMC is led by Mamata Banerjee.”

The clash between Saugata Roy and the breakaway MPs highlights a high-stakes battle for party legitimacy. By emphasizing the 41% vote share in West Bengal, the TMC leadership is attempting to use electoral mandates to invalidate the claims of the defectors. The Speaker's eventual decision will determine whether the party remains a unified force under Banerjee or suffers a permanent fracture that benefits the NDA's parliamentary numbers.