Rebel TMC MPs weigh defamation suit against Mahua Moitra over ₹40 crore post
Synopsis
Mahua Moitra's claim that each of the 20 rebel TMC MPs received at least ₹40 crore to defect — framed as a pointed rejoinder to Sanjay Raut's Maharashtra post — has now pushed the rebels toward potential legal action. The defamation threat signals the intra-TMC war is moving from social media to the courts.
Key Takeaways
20 rebel TMC Lok Sabha MPs are considering a defamation suit against Mahua Moitra over her social media post alleging they were paid to defect.
Moitra claimed each rebel MP received at least ₹40 crore — structured as ₹4 crore upfront and ₹1 crore per month for 36 months — to join the NCPI .
The rebel group is led by four-time MPs Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Stabdi Roy , who recently joined the Tripura-based National Citizens Party of India (NCPI) .
The rebels held a virtual meeting on Sunday, 21 June to discuss legal options; Stabdi Roy confirmed defamation action is being considered.
Moitra has also targeted rebel West Bengal Assembly members, demanding all rebels resign before criticising the party leadership.
A group of 20 rebel All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha members is reportedly considering filing a defamation suit against fellow Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra over a social media post in which she alleged that the rebel MPs were paid to switch parties. The development emerged following a virtual meeting held by the rebel MPs on Sunday, 21 June, where legal options were discussed.
The Post That Sparked the Row
The controversy centres on a social media post by Mahua Moitra, who has remained loyal to Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In her post, Moitra alleged that the rebel MPs had defected to the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI) — a Tripura-based outfit described as virtually non-existent — in exchange for money, claiming each received at least ₹40 crore.
Moitra's post was reportedly shared in response to a remark by Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, who accused rebel legislators in his own party of accepting ₹15 crore to defect to the Eknath Shinde camp. Moitra's post read: 'Only Rs 15 cr? Saste mein kyo jaa rahe hai? Believe ours got Rs 4cr up front and Rs 1cr a month for next 36 months of term. …. Honey plus Money.'
Who Are the Rebel MPs
The group of 20 rebel TMC Lok Sabha members is led by two four-time parliamentarians — Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Stabdi Roy — who recently joined the NCPI. The rebels are currently scattered across different parts of the country and held a virtual meeting on Sunday afternoon to deliberate on their next steps, including the possibility of legal action against Moitra.
What the Rebels Said
Virtually confirming that legal action is being considered, Stabdi Roy said the group was weighing the possibility of a defamation suit. 'Right now, I can say this much only,' Roy said, declining to elaborate further. The measured response suggests the rebels are consulting legal counsel before committing to a course of action.
A Broader Pattern of Attacks
Moitra's post against the rebel MPs is part of a wider campaign she has waged on social media over the past several days. She has targeted not only the rebel Lok Sabha members but also rebel West Bengal Legislative Assembly members, accusing them of betraying Trinamool Congress after contesting and winning elections on the party's ticket. She has also publicly demanded that the rebel MPs and MLAs resign their seats before speaking out against the party leadership — a position that echoes the anti-defection debate playing out simultaneously in Maharashtra.
With legal proceedings potentially in the offing, the dispute marks a sharp escalation in the internal crisis gripping Trinamool Congress, and could set a precedent for how defecting MPs respond to political attacks in the social media era.
Point of View
Not legal precision — and the rebels know it, which is why their defamation threat is as much a counter-narrative tool as a legal strategy. The deeper story here is the collapse of Trinamool Congress's internal discipline: when 20 sitting Lok Sabha MPs defect en masse to a party that barely exists, and the response is a social media war rather than institutional dialogue, it signals a party leadership that has substituted loyalty enforcement for genuine political management. The Maharashtra parallel Moitra herself drew is telling — defection-for-money allegations are now a standard playbook across parties, and courts are increasingly being asked to referee what are essentially political disputes.
NationPress
21 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the rebel TMC MPs considering a defamation suit against Mahua Moitra?
The 20 rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs are considering a defamation suit because Mahua Moitra posted on social media alleging that each of them received at least ₹40 crore to leave the party and join the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The rebels have described the post as 'libellous' and held a virtual meeting on 21 June to discuss legal options.
What exactly did Mahua Moitra write in her social media post?
Moitra wrote: 'Only Rs 15 cr? Saste mein kyo jaa rahe hai? Believe ours got Rs 4cr up front and Rs 1cr a month for next 36 months of term. …. Honey plus Money.' The post was shared in response to a similar allegation by Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray faction in Maharashtra, who accused rebel Shiv Sena legislators of accepting ₹15 crore to defect.
Who are the rebel TMC MPs and which party did they join?
The group comprises 20 rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha members led by four-time MPs Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Stabdi Roy. They recently joined the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a Tripura-based party described as virtually non-existent.
Has Stabdi Roy confirmed the defamation suit will be filed?
Stabdi Roy has not confirmed the suit will definitely be filed, but virtually confirmed it is under consideration. 'Right now, I can say this much only,' Roy said, suggesting the group is still consulting on legal options.
What else has Mahua Moitra said about the rebels?
Beyond the ₹40 crore allegation, Moitra has accused the rebel MPs and rebel West Bengal Assembly members of betraying Trinamool Congress after winning elections on the party's ticket. She has publicly demanded that all rebels resign their seats before speaking out against the party leadership.
