Rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Jagadish Barma Basunia on Friday, 12 June confirmed the authenticity of a letter signed by 19 party MPs — including himself — who are reportedly seeking recognition as the principal and majority faction of the party in the Lok Sabha. The development marks one of the most significant public ruptures within the TMC since the party's defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections.

What the Letter Demands

According to Basunia, the letter formally asserts that the signatories represent the 'real Trinamool Congress' and should be granted official recognition as such. He confirmed having personally spoken to all 18 other rebel MPs who signed the document and stated that none of them would withdraw their support.

'Our demand is that we are the real Trinamool Congress and should be given recognition,' Basunia said in remarks to reporters.

Roots of the Discontent

Basunia traced the origins of the dissent to the period before the Assembly poll results, alleging that sitting MPs and senior party leaders were bypassed entirely during candidate selection. 'None of the MPs knew which MLA within their constituency would be given a ticket, and only came to know when the announcement was made. All the MPs have been angry due to this,' he alleged.

He went further, claiming that effective control of the party had shifted away from TMC chief and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after 2021–2022. 'After 2021–2022, the grip of the Trinamool Congress was no longer with Mamata Banerjee and instead had totally gone to Abhishek Banerjee. All decisions related to the party were taken by Abhishek and I-PAC only; not even any senior leader was contacted. That is why the MLAs and MPs have been frustrated,' he said, referring to Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata's nephew and the party's General Secretary.

Blame Placed on Abhishek Banerjee

Basunia directly attributed the TMC's Assembly election defeat to what he described as a flawed, top-down candidate selection process driven by Abhishek Banerjee and political consultancy I-PAC. 'We would not have been defeated in this manner if the candidates were chosen after proper consultation with party leaders,' he stressed. This is a notable escalation — a sitting Lok Sabha MP publicly naming the party's General Secretary as responsible for an electoral loss.

On BJP Ties and Meeting Suvendu Adhikari

Basunia firmly denied allegations that the rebel MPs are functioning as a 'B-Team' of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He acknowledged that the group had met West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari — a BJP leader — but framed it as a practical necessity. 'Bengal does not have a Trinamool government anymore, so if we work in coordination with the BJP government, we will still be able to work for the people,' he explained.

He added: 'Therefore, to initiate any kind of developmental work in Bengal, we have to go to him only.' The explanation, however, is likely to intensify scrutiny of the rebel bloc's true political alignment.

What Happens Next

The letter's emergence raises immediate questions about the TMC's strength in the Lok Sabha and the Speakership's recognition of any new parliamentary group. With 19 MPs reportedly backing the move, the rebel faction could potentially meet the numerical threshold required for a separate parliamentary party or group, depending on Lok Sabha rules. The TMC leadership in Kolkata has not yet issued a formal response to Basunia's public confirmation. How Mamata Banerjee and the party apparatus respond — whether through expulsion, dialogue, or legal challenge — will define the next phase of this rupture.