Rebel Trinamool MPs Considering Defamation Case Against Mahua Moitra Over 'Rs 40 Crore Bribe' Claim

Published 22 June 2026 · politics

Rebel Trinamool MPs Considering Defamation Case Against Mahua Moitra Over 'Rs 40 Crore Bribe' Claim Published By, Last Updated: June 22, 2026, 13:49 IST Mahua

Rebel Trinamool MPs Considering Defamation Case Against Mahua Moitra Over 'Rs 40 Crore Bribe' Claim Published By, Last Updated: June 22, 2026, 13:49 IST Mahua Moitra alleged that the 20 MPs received Rs 4 crore in advance and were promised Rs 1 crore every month for the next 36 months. TMC MP Mahua Moitra (Image PTI) The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing fresh turbulence as around 20 rebel MPs are preparing to take legal action against party colleague Mahua Moitra over her claim that lawmakers who switched sides were bribed to leave the party. The MPs have decided to file a defamation suit against Moitra after she alleged that parliamentarians who broke away from the TMC received large sums of money in return for joining another political camp. The development comes amid an ongoing power struggle within the party following a major split in its parliamentary unit. What Mahua Moitra said? The rebel MPs recently held a meeting and agreed to move court against Moitra over her remarks. The controversy stems from a post made by Moitra on X on June 17, in which she suggested that MPs who left the TMC had been paid substantial amounts of money. A close ally of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Moitra alleged that the 20 MPs received Rs 4 crore in advance and were promised Rs 1 crore every month for the next 36 months.

Her comments were made while reacting to Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut’s allegation that MPs in Maharashtra were being offered Rs 15 crore each to switch political sides. “Only 15 cr? Saste mein kyo jaa rahe hai? Believe ours got Rs 4 cr up front and Rs 1 cr a month for next 36 months of term," Moitra wrote on X. The rebel MPs have objected to the allegation and decided to seek legal remedies, sources said. Only ₹15 cr? Saste mein kyo jaa rahe hai? Believe ours got ₹4cr up front and ₹1cr a month for next 36 months of term. …. Honey plus Money.@uddhavthackeray @abhishekaitc Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) June 16, 2026 TMC MPs split The dispute follows one of the biggest political crises in the history of the TMC. Twenty of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs, led by Chief Whip Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, recently broke away and formed a separate group. The rebel MPs informed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about their decision and announced that they would support the BJP-led Democratic Alliance (NDA). Dastidar said the decision was taken after discussions among the MPs. According to her, the group believed it should align its future political course with the NDA while respecting the mandate of the people.