The Last Piece Of The Puzzle: Why TMC Rebels Need A Heavyweight On Their Side

Published 12 June 2026 · politics

The Last Piece Of The Puzzle: Why TMC Rebels Need A Heavyweight On Their Side Written By, Last Updated: June 12, 2026, 12:29 IST The

The Last Piece Of The Puzzle: Why TMC Rebels Need A Heavyweight On Their Side Written By, Last Updated: June 12, 2026, 12:29 IST The rebels believe the addition of a prominent face would make it harder for the top brass to dismiss the revolt as a rebellion led by disgruntled backbenchers Rapid Read The rebel faction led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is reportedly in touch with a senior TMC MP whose signature has not yet been added to the list. (AI-Generated Image) Days after claiming that more than two-thirds of the Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s Lok Sabha MPs are ready to break away from Mamata Banerjee, the rebel camp has still not formally sought recognition as a separate parliamentary bloc. The reason, according to sources quoted by The Indian Express, is simple: they are waiting for a heavyweight. According to the IE report, the rebel faction led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has been in touch with a senior TMC MP whose signature has not yet been added to the list. The rebels believe the addition of a prominent face would significantly strengthen their case before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and make it harder for the top brass of the TMC to dismiss the revolt as a rebellion led by disgruntled backbenchers.

Strength In Numbers Publicly, the rebels claim they already have the support of 19 of TMC’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs, comfortably crossing the two-thirds threshold required to seek protection from anti-defection provisions. News18 had accessed the letter by the rebels, which has been signed by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Bapi Haldar, Dr Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Jagadish Barma Basunia, Asit Kumar Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari, June Malia and Partha Bhowmick. ALSO READ | ‘We Were There Only For Show’: Rebel TMC MP Alleges Exclusion, Says Complaints Went Unaddressed Speaking about the letter to CNN-News18, Arup Chakraborty said, “We submitted this letter to the speaker to save the reputation of TMC. Why was Mamata silent when all things were happening? She formed a party; she is the party leader. Why did she remain mum? Now the train has left the station. Why didn’t she call for a party meeting? BJP will do their own job, TMC will do their job, and other parties will do their jobs. BJP is ready to help us for the nation." Ordinarily, crossing that mark should have been enough to immediately approach the Speaker and seek recognition as a separate group.

Instead, the rebels have chosen to wait. That suggests the battle is no longer about arithmetic. Why A Senior MP Matters A rebellion led by first-time MPs or younger leaders can always be portrayed by the parent party as temporary dissatisfaction. However, a rebellion backed by one of the party’s established veterans is far more dangerous. Such a move would show that dissatisfaction extends beyond newer MPs and has reached the party’s traditional leadership. It would also lend credibility to the rebels’ charge that the crisis is about the way the party is being run rather than individual grievances. Third, it could trigger a bandwagon effect, encouraging fence-sitters to jump ship. ALSO READ | Who Is Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar? Once A Mamata Confidante, Now Face Of TMC’s Rebellion This explains why the rebels appear willing to delay their formal move despite repeatedly insisting they already have the numbers. Shadow Of The Old Guard The search for a senior face comes at a time when some of TMC’s most prominent veterans have openly voiced concerns about the party’s direction. Senior leader Saugata Roy has publicly acknowledged that the party is facing a crisis and has pointed to complaints regarding the functioning of Abhishek Banerjee. Kalyan Banerjee has also publicly criticised the party leadership while insisting he remains loyal to Mamata Banerjee.