Sudip Bandyopadhyay, a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, said a court will decide which faction represents the real party [1].

The development signals a deepening crisis within the TMC, as one of its most prominent lawmakers aligns with a rebel group. This split threatens the party's stability in West Bengal and its control over the parliamentary wing.

Bandyopadhyay said the legal system must resolve the dispute over the identity of the real TMC [1]. The conflict stems from claims regarding a merger with the National Conference of People's India (NCPI) [1, 2]. This merger claim has triggered a struggle for legitimacy between the established leadership and a dissident group.

As part of his alignment with the rebel camp, Bandyopadhyay expressed support for a specific leadership structure. He said he backs a plan to keep Mamata Banerjee in an advisory role [2]. This proposal suggests a shift in how the party is managed, moving the current leader away from direct executive control while maintaining her influence.

The dispute centers on who holds the legal right to the party name and symbols. Because the legitimacy of the leadership is now being challenged in court, the outcome could determine who controls the TMC's official assets and parliamentary representation [1, 2].

Bandyopadhyay's move adds significant weight to the rebel faction. His seniority within the party provides the dissidents with a high-profile ally in the ongoing battle for party control [2].

“The question of the 'real TMC' will be decided in court.”

The alignment of a senior MP like Bandyopadhyay with a rebel faction indicates a formal fracture in the TMC's internal hierarchy. By advocating for Mamata Banerjee to move into an advisory role, the dissidents are attempting to restructure the party's power dynamics. The shift to a judicial resolution means the party's future depends on legal interpretations of its bylaws and merger claims rather than internal political consensus.