19 Trinamool Congress MPs' signatures surface, fuel Lok Sabha bloc confusion
Synopsis
Three pages carrying signatures of 19 Trinamool Congress MPs have surfaced, reportedly claiming to form the party's majority Lok Sabha bloc — but not a single rebel has spoken publicly, the Speaker's office has stayed silent, and even the documents' authenticity remains unverified. With TMC holding 27 active seats, 19 signatures would be a numerical majority. Whether this is a coordinated internal revolt or a paper exercise is the question that West Bengal's political establishment is now watching closely.
Key Takeaways
Three pages with signatures of 19 Trinamool Congress MPs surfaced on 12 June 2025 , reportedly claiming majority bloc status in the Lok Sabha .
The documents are reportedly led by Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar (Barasat) and Satabdi Roy (Birbhum), both four-time TMC MPs.
Authenticity of the pages could not be verified; the Lok Sabha Speaker's office has issued no confirmation.
None of the 19 named MPs has made any public statement on the matter.
TMC's current Lok Sabha strength stands at 27 , with one seat vacant since September 2024 following the death of Haji Sk.
Nurul Islam (Basirhat).
Signatures of Rachana Banerjee and Sayoni Ghosh appear out of sequence, reportedly because they signed at a later stage.
Three pages bearing the signatures of 19 Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha members surfaced on Friday, 12 June, reportedly indicating a claim by the signatories to represent the main and majority bloc of the party's parliamentary group. The authenticity of the documents could not be independently verified, and no official confirmation has emerged from the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker.
What the Documents Show
The three pages, copies of which are in circulation, carry signatures led by Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a four-time TMC Lok Sabha member from Barasat constituency in North 24 Parganas, followed by Satabdi Roy, an actress-turned-politician and four-time MP from Birbhum constituency in Birbhum district. The two are reportedly the driving force behind the purported letter submitted to the Speaker's office.
The remaining 17 signatories include Bapi Halder (Mathurapur), Sharmila Sarkar (Burdwan East), Prasun Banerjee (Howrah), Jagadish Verma Basunia (Cooch Behar), Asit Mal (Bolpur), Arup Chakraborty (Bankura), Kalipada Soren (Jhargram), Deepak Adhikari a.k.a. Dev (Ghatal), June Malia (Medinipur), Partha Bhowmik (Barrackpore), Khalilur Rahman (Jangipur), Abu Taher Khan (Murshidabad), Yusuf Pathan (Baharampur), Mitali Bagh (Arambagh), Mala Roy (Kolkata Dakshin), Rachana Banerjee (Hooghly), and Sayoni Ghosh (Jadavpur).
The Signature Anomaly
Notably, the signatures of Rachana Banerjee and Sayoni Ghosh appear in two separate locations on the pages, out of sequence with the other signatories. According to party sources close to one of the rebels, this is because both MPs joined and signed the letter at a later stage. The irregularity has added to the confusion over whether the three pages represent the complete document or only its concluding sections.
Silence from the Rebels
Despite the documents surfacing publicly, none of the 19 MPs named in the pages has made any public statement on the matter. The Lok Sabha Speaker's office has also not issued any official confirmation regarding receipt of such a letter. The silence from all parties involved has deepened uncertainty about the intent and current status of the reported initiative.
TMC's Lok Sabha Strength and Context
Trinamool Congress currently holds 27 seats in the Lok Sabha. One seat — the Basirhat constituency in North 24 Parganas — has been vacant since September 2024, following the death of sitting MP Haji Sk. Nurul Islam just months after his election. If the reported grouping of 19 MPs holds, it would constitute a numerical majority of the party's currently active parliamentary membership. This comes amid broader murmurs of internal dissent within TMC's parliamentary unit, though no formal split has been declared.
Point of View
This could as easily be a pressure tactic as a genuine organisational move. TMC has historically managed internal dissent through back-channel correction rather than open revolt; the complete public silence from all 19 MPs fits that pattern. What is unusual is the leak itself — someone wants this known, which suggests the internal pressure on the party's parliamentary leadership is real, even if the formal outcome remains unclear.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the three pages with TMC MP signatures reportedly claim?
The three pages reportedly indicate that the 19 signatory MPs are claiming to represent the main and majority bloc of Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha. However, the authenticity of the documents has not been independently verified.
Who are the key MPs leading the reported grouping?
The first two signatures on the pages belong to Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, the four-time TMC MP from Barasat, and Satabdi Roy, a four-time MP from Birbhum and former actress. They are reportedly the leaders of the group behind the purported letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Has the Lok Sabha Speaker's office confirmed receiving the letter?
No. As of the time of reporting, the Lok Sabha Speaker's office has not issued any official confirmation about receiving such a letter from the group of TMC MPs.
How does 19 MPs compare to TMC's total Lok Sabha strength?
Trinamool Congress currently holds 27 seats in the Lok Sabha. One seat — Basirhat — has been vacant since September 2024 following the death of MP Haji Sk. Nurul Islam. Among the 26 currently active TMC MPs, a grouping of 19 would constitute a numerical majority.
Why do two signatures appear out of sequence on the pages?
According to party sources close to one of the rebel MPs, Rachana Banerjee (Hooghly) and Sayoni Ghosh (Jadavpur) joined the initiative at a later stage and therefore signed separately, which is why their signatures appear in two different locations rather than in the main sequence.
