Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh on Saturday, 13 June publicly accused party MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay of betraying Mamata Banerjee after Bandyopadhyay joined the growing rebel camp of Trinamool Lok Sabha MPs aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The development marks a significant escalation in the internal crisis gripping the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Kunal Ghosh's Sharp Salvo

Speaking to reporters, Kunal Ghosh did not hold back. He described Bandyopadhyay's exit as 'buy one get one free' and launched personal jibes, calling him 'a man sporting a wig' who would 'have a mobile beauty parlour at his expense.' Ghosh noted that Bandyopadhyay had changed political affiliations multiple times and was reportedly unhappy with his standing in the party.

Ghosh went further, saying this outcome was partly of Mamata Banerjee's own making — arguing she had blindly trusted people who did not deserve it. He claimed the party had lost several capable leaders on account of Bandyopadhyay, specifically naming Tapas Roy as a 'capable leader' who was forced to leave because of him. Notably, Ghosh acknowledged he himself had been suspended from the party at one point for publicly defending Tapas Roy.

The Bhupendra Yadav Meeting

According to Ghosh, he had called Bandyopadhyay two days prior to ask his whereabouts when the CID had visited Mamata Banerjee's residence. He said he was told that Bandyopadhyay's wife, Nayna Bandyopadhyay — herself a Trinamool MLA — would be going there. However, Nayna reportedly did not reach Banerjee's home, while Sudip Bandyopadhyay was seen travelling to the residence of Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav in Delhi.

The rebel Trinamool MPs, led by Kakali Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy, had already held multiple rounds of meetings at Yadav's house. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was also present at one such meeting. On Saturday, Sudip Bandyopadhyay — the Trinamool MP from Kolkata Uttar constituency — was spotted at Delhi airport sharing a car with rebel MP Satabdi Roy, before the two proceeded together to Yadav's residence.

Scale of the Rebellion

The rebel camp within Trinamool has been building steadily, with several Lok Sabha MPs attending repeated meetings at Union Minister Yadav's home. The addition of Sudip Bandyopadhyay, one of the party's most prominent and long-standing MPs, is considered a particularly significant blow. Bandyopadhyay's defection to the rebel side signals that the disquiet within Trinamool extends well beyond a fringe faction.

What Comes Next

The rebellion puts pressure on Mamata Banerjee's leadership at a politically sensitive juncture. Whether the rebel MPs formally cross the floor or use their leverage for internal bargaining remains to be seen. Any formal split could have implications for Trinamool's parliamentary arithmetic and its positioning ahead of future electoral contests in West Bengal.