Abhishek Banerjee writes to LS Speaker against separate TMC bloc
Synopsis
With rebel Trinamool Congress MPs — reportedly as many as 22 out of 27 — poised to seek a separate bloc in the Lok Sabha, Abhishek Banerjee has moved pre-emptively, writing to Speaker Om Birla to block the move. The simultaneous gathering of rebels at a BJP minister's residence signals that this is no longer just an internal party dispute.
Key Takeaways
Abhishek Banerjee wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 14 June opposing recognition of any separate TMC bloc in the Lower House.
Rebel TMC Lok Sabha members are scheduled to meet the Speaker on Monday to seek formal recognition for a breakaway group.
Rebel faction leader Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claims 22 of the party's active Lok Sabha members have joined the rebellion.
The Basirhat seat remains vacant after the death of MP Haji Sk.
Nurul Islam in September 2024 , leaving TMC with 26 active members.
Rebel MPs were reportedly meeting at the residence of BJP Union Minister Bhupender Yadav at the same time the letter was delivered.
The Lok Sabha Speaker's ruling on bloc recognition will determine whip authority and speaking rights for the TMC in the Lower House.
Abhishek Banerjee, National General Secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Lok Sabha member, has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urging him not to recognise any separate bloc within the Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party in the Lower House. The letter, delivered on Sunday, 14 June, comes ahead of a scheduled meeting between rebel TMC Lok Sabha members and the Speaker on Monday, where the dissenters plan to seek formal recognition for a breakaway group.
How the Letter Was Delivered
The letter was hand-delivered to the Lok Sabha Speaker's office by Sagarika Ghose, journalist-turned-politician and TMC Rajya Sabha member, and Kirti Azad, TMC Lok Sabha member — both of whom remain aligned with former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. They visited the Speaker's residence at 20, Akbar Road, New Delhi on Sunday to submit the communication.
At the same time, rebel TMC Lok Sabha members were reportedly holding a parallel meeting at the residence of Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhupender Yadav in the national capital — a detail that underscores the depth of the rift within the party.
Banerjee's Core Arguments to the Speaker
According to party sources, Abhishek Banerjee's letter makes three central arguments. First, the TMC Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha is an integral part of the parent political organisation, and legally the Trinamool Congress constitutes a single, unified entity. Second, the party has one designated leader in the Lok Sabha and one Chief Whip, both holding their positions with the approval of the parent organisation's authorities. Third, individual MPs cannot unilaterally constitute a parallel bloc within the same party and seek independent recognition for it.
Scale of the Rebellion
The TMC currently holds 27 seats in the Lok Sabha, with the Basirhat constituency in North 24 Parganas district remaining vacant following the death of MP Haji Sk. Nurul Islam in September 2024, just months after his election. Of the active members, at least 20 are reported to have joined the rebel camp, according to information available so far. However, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a four-time Lok Sabha member and leader of the rebel faction, claimed earlier on Sunday that the count had already reached 22, though she declined to name the individuals.
If the rebel count of 22 is accurate, it would represent a clear majority within the party's active Lok Sabha strength — a threshold that carries significant weight under parliamentary anti-defection rules and bloc-recognition norms.
What Happens Next
The Lok Sabha Speaker will now have to adjudicate between the formal party leadership's objection and the rebel bloc's bid for separate recognition. The Speaker's decision will have direct implications for the TMC's status in the Lower House, including whip authority and speaking time allocations. Political observers note that the BJP's apparent proximity to the rebel group — evidenced by the meeting at Bhupender Yadav's residence — adds a charged political dimension to what is formally a procedural dispute.
Point of View
And Abhishek Banerjee's pre-emptive letter to the Speaker is a sign that the party leadership knows it cannot hold the floor through persuasion alone. The legal argument is sound on paper: anti-defection rules and parliamentary precedent make it difficult to grant a bloc recognition that could trigger disqualification proceedings. But the optics of rebel MPs convening at a BJP minister's home while the letter was being delivered are damaging in a different register — they suggest a political alignment that goes well beyond a factional dispute. The Speaker's decision, whichever way it goes, will reshape the TMC's parliamentary identity and potentially accelerate a formal split.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Abhishek Banerjee write to the Lok Sabha Speaker?
Abhishek Banerjee wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 14 June to oppose the recognition of a separate bloc being sought by rebel TMC Lok Sabha members. He argued that the Trinamool Congress is a single unified legal entity with one parliamentary leader and one Chief Whip, and that individual MPs cannot form a parallel bloc within the same party.
How many TMC MPs have reportedly joined the rebellion?
At least 20 TMC Lok Sabha members are reported to have joined the rebel camp, while faction leader Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has claimed the number has reached 22. She declined to name the individuals publicly.
What is the total Lok Sabha strength of the Trinamool Congress?
The TMC holds 27 Lok Sabha seats, but the Basirhat constituency has been vacant since the death of MP Haji Sk. Nurul Islam in September 2024, leaving the party with 26 active members.
Who delivered Abhishek Banerjee's letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker?
Sagarika Ghose, a TMC Rajya Sabha member, and Kirti Azad, a TMC Lok Sabha member — both aligned with the Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee camp — delivered the letter to the Speaker's office at 20, Akbar Road, New Delhi on Sunday.
What happens if the Lok Sabha Speaker recognises the rebel bloc?
If the Speaker grants recognition to the rebel bloc, it could alter whip authority, speaking time allocations, and the party's formal standing in the Lower House. It may also trigger anti-defection proceedings, depending on how the recognition is structured and whether members are deemed to have voluntarily given up party membership.
